- 15 hours ago
The Survival of Whole Dragonkin Rests on Me
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My best friend and I fall off a cliff and land right into a world of beastmen.
00:03In my last life, she had chosen the dragon kin.
00:06I had been stuck with the grey rabbit warren.
00:08Jealous of my life there, she had ended up poisoning me.
00:11But now we are back, reborn.
00:13She runs straight for the rabbits.
00:15I almost laugh.
00:16A warm bed, a full belly, and no more running for your life.
00:19What's not to like?
00:20Emma limps toward the grey rabbit chieftain, dragging her bad leg.
00:24That's when I know she's been reborn too.
00:26Last life, she saw those shiny golden scales and completely froze, unable to look away.
00:31She walked right up to the dragon kin prince and whispered to me.
00:34He looks scary.
00:35Let me go first to check things out.
00:36Once I'm settled, I'll come back for you.
00:38Just stay with the guy in the white cape for a little while.
00:40This time, she has a whole new story.
00:44That dragon prince looks way too fierce.
00:46You're so fragile, Selene.
00:48You need someone tough watching your back.
00:51Look at that pale one over there.
00:53He can barely stand and his eyes look really sneaky.
00:56I'll take the risk and go with the warren for your sake.
00:58It takes me a second to catch up.
01:00The nerve of her.
01:01Emma, you actually want me to go with the dragonish prince?
01:04I'm telling you now.
01:05On once I walk that path, there's no turning back.
01:07She bites her lip, putting on this brave, suffering act.
01:10Just wait for me, Selene.
01:12Once I've got my footing in the warren, I'll come find you.
01:15And just like that, it's decided.
01:17She grabs our packs, taking every last bit of the food we brought from the climb.
01:22I don't even care.
01:23The dragon kin are rich, every one of them a warrior.
01:26Money is no problem for them.
01:28But the warren?
01:29I can't help but wonder how long that bag of cheese puffs is going to last them.
01:33On one side stands a man with golden horns and armor, his face looking like it was carved by the
01:37gods themselves.
01:38On the other is a pale guy in a white cloak who pans for breath every two steps.
01:42Yeah, no contest.
01:44The choice is laughably obvious.
01:46Travelers from another world?
01:48Draken's voice rumbles low.
01:50Snow speaks up next.
01:51Come to me.
01:52The gray rabbit whirr will give you shelter.
01:55Emma doesn't wait for a single second.
01:57I'm going with the dragons!
01:59Forgetting all about her hurt leg, she throws off her extra gear and runs toward the dragon kin.
02:04The golden barrier opens, swallows her up.
02:06She is gone.
02:07I stare at the empty space where the light just faded.
02:10Then I pick up the pack she dropped and walk toward the pale white glow of the warren.
02:14I used to think our fates matched our names.
02:16Dragon kin flying high in the skies.
02:18Gray rabbits scattered in the dirt.
02:20But here's the thing I didn't know, the dragon kin don't do marriage.
02:24If two people like each other, they spend the night together with zero promises, and the next morning, it's back
02:29to business.
02:30Children are raised by the whole clan.
02:32And here's the real surprise, their young rarely live.
02:35Out of ten hatchlings, maybe one survives.
02:38Emma spent two years with Prince Draken, three lost pregnancies, one birth, and not a single child made it.
02:44She was always obsessed with those old harem stories, the jealous wives, the scheming rivals.
02:49So when her babies died, she talked herself into believing someone was poisoning her.
02:54Someone was out to get her.
02:55She cried, screamed, and threatened to end her own life unless Draken checked on everyone around them.
03:01But Draken's people, his warriors, his servants, were fiercely loyal.
03:05He wasn't about to break their trust for some girl from another world who had been there for five minutes.
03:10He tried talking to her over and over, but she wouldn't listen.
03:13Finally, out of patience, he motioned to the crowd around them.
03:17Who did it?
03:18Who hurt your children?
03:20Point them out.
03:21She paused.
03:22Then she pointed at a random warrior in the ranks.
03:25Fine, you're his now.
03:26You said he harmed you, so carry his child, then he'll have no reason to hurt you.
03:31Emma completely fell apart.
03:33But the thing that really broke her spirit came later.
03:35Her new husband mentioned, offhand, that the grey rabbit chieftain used to cook every single grain of their rations just
03:41because the other world girl couldn't stomach cold food.
03:44Desperate.
03:45Take me to the warren.
03:46I need to see Selene.
03:47Please, I have to.
03:49And so we met again at the border of our lands.
03:52I looked at my friend in her gleaming scale armor, sitting before tables piled high with food, and I felt
03:56a hot twist of envy in my gut.
03:58What on earth was she complaining about?
04:00It was warm there, safe.
04:02You ate until you were full, and you slept without fear.
04:05If the warren had even a piece of that comfort, I would have laughed in my dreams.
04:09Yet she was drowning in regret.
04:10She chose first.
04:12She made the call the day we fell.
04:14She put on a sweet, nostalgic smile and poured tea with her own hands, pushing the cup toward me.
04:18Selene, it's been so long since we just sat down and had tea together.
04:23Please, try this.
04:24I smiled right back and took the cup.
04:26Then I switched them the second she lived away.
04:28As it turned out, both cups were poisoned.
04:31She hit the ground, her eyes wide with total shock.
04:34We died on the exact same day.
04:36But then I open my eyes, and I am back at the very beginning.
04:39And she dashes for the warren instead.
04:41Gods, I couldn't have asked for a better gift.
04:43Emma follows behind Snow.
04:45Have fun being a toy?
04:47That chieftain's wife spot?
04:48It's mine.
04:51I read her lips, when a flash of gold cuts right in front of me.
04:55I am still squinting.
04:57Fine.
04:57You're with me.
04:59I blink.
05:00The golden armored man is already turning away, not giving me a single extra glance.
05:04I just freeze.
05:06Gods, he's tall.
05:07Tall, stupidly handsome, and built like a fortress.
05:11Are you wearing armor because you're heading into battle?
05:13Well, who are you fighting?
05:14This is called chocolate.
05:16Dragon Inn can eat it.
05:17Gray rabbits, too.
05:18But the doggen?
05:19They eat this and they die.
05:21You've taken me in, and I don't have much to give, so take this as thanks.
05:24Just in case.
05:25You just got here.
05:26How do you know about the doggen?
05:28I just guessed.
05:29The men around you are carrying dog-beating clubs.
05:32You're in battle armor, and you're moving fast.
05:33I figure something big is about to happen.
05:35Any longer, and this thing is going to be a puddle.
05:38Honestly, I don't even need to do this.
05:41In my last life, the doggen had gotten their hands on some kind of battle plan.
05:44I still don't know where they learned it.
05:46Draken had let his guard down, taken a bad hit, and ended up with a nasty wound.
05:51I could have pulled an emma here.
05:53I could have nursed him back to health, earned his favor, and locked in my place in the clan.
05:57But here's the thing about the dragon kin.
05:59Yeah, they love a good fight, but they don't start wars.
06:02They are the ones holding the whole beast realm together and keeping the peace.
06:05In my last life, the very moment Draken was too hurt to fight, the other races saw their chance.
06:11War broke out everywhere, and the bodies piled high.
06:14I'm not dragon kin, but I come from a world that knew peace, and I know nothing is worth more
06:18than that.
06:19My wrist aches, and my hand starts shaking.
06:22Right when I am about to drop it, the cold, strong hand takes the chocolate from my palm.
06:26Your name?
06:28Selena.
06:28Selena, then orders a young warrior to take me back to the dragon kin territory.
06:32With the secret weapon I have just handed him, he leaves to face the dog kin.
06:36While the warren is bare bones, rough, and poor, this place is stunning.
06:41Huge stone towers rise everywhere, with white marble underfoot.
06:44Fancy, decorated, and lush, every single inch of it screams wealth.
06:48The young dragon kin guiding me doesn't stop talking the whole way.
06:51That's Prince Draken's home.
06:53It's also where he works.
06:54No eiders allowed.
06:55That training ground, the prince's personal arena, no eiders allowed.
06:58When we pass a really beautiful tower.
07:00Draken's personal getaway.
07:01I know, I know.
07:02No idlers allowed, right?
07:04Little brother, you can skip those.
07:05Just take me somewhere idlers are allowed.
07:08Oh, that tower?
07:09You can go in.
07:11But only women who admire the prince, and who the prince likes back.
07:16Aw, I know that exactly.
07:17It's the fan zone.
07:18So what actually happens inside?
07:20Do they just admire his pictures?
07:22Pay respects to his weapons?
07:24Is there a ticket price?
07:25Miss, none of that is in there.
07:27It's just a big bed and a bath.
07:29If there's a woman who admires the prince, and the prince likes her back, they can spend
07:33a night together there.
07:34His eyes are so clear, so pure.
07:36When he talks about Draken, his whole face lights up with worship.
07:40Like he is describing something totally normal.
07:43I'm not completely sure his idea of spending a night together and mine are the exact same
07:47thing.
07:47I decide to test the waters.
07:49So, what happens after that night?
07:52After?
07:53You go back to doing what you always do.
07:55Dragonish numbers are thin.
07:57Everyone works.
07:58Male, female, it doesn't matter.
08:00And the women who have spent nights with your prince?
08:02Too many to count!
08:03I stand there frozen, turning the words over in my head until it finally clicks.
08:08No marriage.
08:09No bonds.
08:11You like someone?
08:12You spend a night together, wake up, and act like nothing happened.
08:16If a child comes, the whole clan raises it.
08:19For a dying race, sure, it makes sense on paper.
08:23But only for the first generation.
08:25Bloodlines don't lie.
08:27Clotheskin mating means fewer pregnancies, sick offspring, and unhealthy lines.
08:32From the second generation on, this system is a death sentence.
08:36It's slow extinction, baked right into their laws.
08:38The boy finally leads me to a yard where the dragonkin women live.
08:42Everything is new.
08:43Everything is interesting.
08:45And I want to touch and try all of it.
08:47You'll help with the work here.
08:48The lead dragonkin woman stops me.
08:50Get familiar with the place first.
08:52Her name is Marina, the clan's top beauty.
08:55Oh, and this came with you.
08:57She hands me a letter.
08:58Marina is bright and bold.
09:00She laughs loud, fights even harder, and carries real authority among her people.
09:04I just got here.
09:05In this world, who would write a letter?
09:08I unfold the paper, and Emma's handwriting jumps right off the page.
09:12Selene, you've made it to the dragonkin by now, right?
09:15Have you seen all those gorgeous dragonkin women?
09:17Let me tell you, every single one with a decent face has slept with Draken.
09:21Especially that Marina.
09:23She's his favorite.
09:24Good luck.
09:25Oh, and Snow, the gray rabbit chieftain?
09:27I was shivering, so he gave me his own cloak.
09:30The letter goes on.
09:31Draken is a cruel womanizer, apparently, and I'll be nothing but another name on his list.
09:36I'll get jealous, fight for his attention, lose, and watch him toss me aside.
09:40If Emma were standing in front of me, I would slap her.
09:43Then I would grab her by the shoulders and shake her.
09:46Snap out of it!
09:47I let out a cold little laugh.
09:49What does that letter say to make you smile like that?
09:52Nothing.
09:53What's everyone working on?
09:55Marina follows my gaze.
09:57A group of dragonkin women are washing raw meat in the water,
10:00patting it clean, and wrapping it in leaves.
10:02Cooking?
10:04Cooking?
10:04I stare at the raw, bloody hunks of meat.
10:07My stomach flips, and I almost throw up right there.
10:10All right.
10:11For the sake of my own gut, I have to pull out whatever cooking skills I have.
10:15Dragonkin can make fire naturally, so I show them right then,
10:18and they're how to roast the meat over an open flame.
10:20Then I teach them the basics of planting vegetables.
10:23Once those veggies grow, I'm going to make real spices.
10:26Chili flakes on a hot, juicy roast?
10:29Now that will be something.
10:30With real, cooked food back in my life,
10:33things are looking up, way up.
10:35But then a messenger comes tearing toward us.
10:37Commander Marina!
10:38Commander Marina!
10:39It's the prince!
10:40He's been ambushed at Mount Cardon!
10:42Marina freezes for a single heartbeat.
10:44Then she snaps into command mode,
10:46barking orders and rallying the remaining fighters.
10:48I'm coming with you.
10:50Mount Cardon is Grey Rabbit Land.
10:52In my last life,
10:53Draken got careless during the war with the dogkin and took a bad hit.
10:56On his way back through Cardon,
10:58the grey rabbit had traps waiting for him.
11:01He never saw it coming,
11:02and the dragonkin took a brutal loss.
11:05But this time,
11:06I have given him the plan to handle the dogkin,
11:08so he shouldn't be hurt.
11:09And without any wounds holding him back,
11:12there is no way a few basic rabbit traps can hold his forces.
11:15When we reach Cardon,
11:16the mountain is totally surrounded by a sea of grey rabbits.
11:20Emma spots me right away.
11:21Oh, Selina.
11:23I'm so incredibly sorry.
11:25I had no idea the Dragonae were such a dirty, uncivilized group.
11:28If I'd known,
11:28I never would have let you suffer there.
11:31How are things, by the way?
11:32Is it...
11:34unbearable?
11:35Unbearable?
11:35Plenty of things are.
11:36But there's a huge upside.
11:38The relationships there are totally free.
11:39Sleep with whoever you want.
11:40Zero strings attached.
11:42Emma's smug look completely crumbles.
11:44That was the one thing she could never stomach in her last life,
11:47sharing a man.
11:49Don't get cocky.
11:50I'll tell you this.
11:50The Dragonkin are about to be crushed.
11:52When they drag themselves back,
11:53they're going to need living blood to heal.
11:54Then you'll finally understand what it means to beg for death.
11:56Oh?
11:57Sounds like a golden chance to me.
11:59If I save them,
12:00I can hold that dead over Draken's head and make him take me.
12:02A man that goodling?
12:03Who wouldn't want him?
12:04That's exactly what Emma did in her last life.
12:07She used a life-saving favor to force closeness,
12:10leaving Draken no choice but to keep her near.
12:12But while she demanded total devotion,
12:14he wanted his freedom.
12:16Their relationship turned toxic fast.
12:18And yet, he was stunning,
12:19built like a god and leader of the finest clan.
12:22Without him, she couldn't survive in this world.
12:25She had been trapped,
12:26totally miserable and deeply obsessed all at once.
12:29Let's see if Draken even makes it back alive first.
12:32My heart drops.
12:33I think I can use what I know from our past life
12:35to find a weak spot in Cardon's defenses and pull Draken out.
12:38But looking at the mean certainty on her face,
12:41this ambush is far worse.
12:42She has made sure of it.
12:44She helps set this trap.
12:46Marina grows more and more frustrated.
12:48Emma grows more and more smug.
12:49With a look like that,
12:51today's ambush has her fingerprints all over it.
12:53I think hard for a long moment,
12:55then walk straight up to Marina.
12:57I lean in low and whisper my plan.
12:59After spending a few months with her,
13:00I know this woman is a true leader,
13:02sharp, fearless,
13:03and completely unbothered by anyone else's shadow.
13:05Marina stays quiet for a long time before speaking.
13:08It's not that I don't trust you, Selena,
13:10but this mission is very dangerous.
13:13You have no combat training.
13:14How will you protect yourself?
13:16I'm with the dragon in now.
13:18Your fight is my fight.
13:19And as for combat?
13:21Brute force is useless against a good plan.
13:23Marina, your numbers are already so low.
13:26Every single fighter you lose
13:27brings your people closer to dying out.
13:29I am an outsider,
13:30but since the day I arrived,
13:31you and your people have treated me
13:32with nothing but total openness,
13:33no walls,
13:33no kind of warmth.
13:34I carry it right here.
13:36Beastmen are brutal.
13:37If you fall into enemy hands,
13:39I'm not afraid.
13:39Remember what I told you?
13:40One day,
13:41the Dragonite will adopt a solo bond.
13:43One partner for life
13:44with no shared bloodlines.
13:45Give up the old ways
13:46and your future will be secure.
13:47You'll thrive.
13:48When you return,
13:49all of Dragonite will honor you
13:50as our most revered guardian.
13:52Revered guardian?
13:53Now that's a title worth having.
13:55It's a thousand times better
13:57than being a chieftain's wife.
13:58In this world,
13:59a chieftain's wife
14:00is just an empty label
14:01with no real power.
14:03Marina turns to her best warriors.
14:05Go with her.
14:06Protect her with your lives.
14:07We ride hard,
14:08pushing through a vast,
14:09empty desert
14:10and skirting the edges
14:11of an endless sea
14:12as the path grows
14:12more and more dangerous.
14:14Finally,
14:14I signal the squad to stop
14:16and send a lone scout ahead.
14:17Not long after,
14:19a figure steps out of the brush
14:20wearing a wide-brimmed hat,
14:21his head held low
14:22as he walks straight toward me.
14:23Three steps away,
14:24he suddenly yanks a blade
14:26from his belt and lunges.
14:27I'm already expecting it.
14:28All right.
14:29Talk.
14:30How many guards
14:31are stationed on the back mountain?
14:32It isn't my dragonkin scout at all.
14:35It's a gray rabbit.
14:36We've taken a huge,
14:37looping detour
14:38just to shake off
14:39any spies tailing us.
14:40My real target
14:41is the rear face of Mount Cardon.
14:43There is a sheer cliff there.
14:44If we can climb it,
14:45we can completely avoid
14:46the gray rabbit ambush.
14:48But clearly,
14:49Emma saw that move coming too.
14:51She pressured Snow
14:51into posting guards ahead of time.
14:53You don't actually have to tell me.
14:55That new girl from the other world,
14:56she already sold you out.
14:58Bah, that woman.
14:59She's nothing but a toy
15:00chieftain Snow
15:01traded a bag of grain for.
15:02A toy, huh?
15:03And yet here you are,
15:05still doing what she says.
15:06That absolute witch!
15:07If it weren't for her,
15:09my nine brothers and I
15:10wouldn't be out here
15:11freezing our tails off.
15:13The real glory is happening
15:14on the other side of the mountain
15:15and we got stuck with nothing!
15:18He keeps shouting,
15:19cursing Emma's name,
15:20completely unaware
15:21that he has just handed me
15:22everything I need to know.
15:24Just like my last life,
15:25some things never change.
15:27In my last life,
15:28when I fell into the hands
15:29of the gray rabbits,
15:30I honestly thought
15:31I could use my knowledge
15:32to lift them up
15:32and change their low standing
15:33in the realm.
15:34What I hadn't realized
15:35was how painfully strict
15:36their society was.
15:37Rank upon rank,
15:38rule upon rule,
15:40no one was ever allowed
15:41to step out of line.
15:42And chieftain Snow?
15:43He was suspicious
15:44down to his very bones.
15:45Every piece of advice I gave,
15:47every plan I laid out,
15:49I got no rewards.
15:50Just endless mockery
15:51from the whole warren.
15:52The gray rabbits
15:53are weak fighters.
15:55Against my dragonkin squad,
15:56ten guards are taken down
15:58in moments.
15:58But the rear cliff
15:59of Mount Cardon
16:00is brutal.
16:01There is no path,
16:02only a straight up wall
16:03of rock vanishing
16:04into the clouds.
16:05Held by the strongest ropes
16:06the dragonkin can forge,
16:08I begin to climb.
16:09My feet test
16:09every single foothold
16:10the warriors ahead of me mark,
16:12but even then,
16:13I nearly slip more times
16:14than I can count.
16:15Between my last life
16:16and this one put together,
16:17I have never been
16:18this close to death.
16:19My whole body is shaking,
16:21my fingers clawing madly
16:22into the jagged stone.
16:23My hands,
16:24my legs,
16:25everything is cut to ribbons.
16:26Blood is smeared
16:27across the rock face,
16:28and I lose track
16:29of how many gashes
16:30are burning all over my skin.
16:31Every tiny movement
16:32sends a wave
16:33of awful pain
16:34ripping through me.
16:35I suck in a sharp breath.
16:36Selene,
16:37hold it together.
16:38The survival of the dragonkin
16:40rests on this.
16:41You want to really stand
16:42among them
16:42and earn your place?
16:43This is how you do it.
16:45Selene!
16:46Here, grab my hand!
16:48One of the warriors
16:48has finally reached the top
16:50and is reaching down toward me.
16:51Seeing the edge so close
16:53makes my heart surge.
16:54I strain upward,
16:55stretching my hand out
16:56to meet his.
16:57Suddenly,
16:58a violent blast of wind
16:59slams into me.
17:01My grip slips,
17:02and I nearly go over the edge
17:04into the nothingness below.
17:06Gray rabbit scum,
17:08your lives end here!
17:09The warrior reaching for me
17:11has to pull back.
17:12Stop!
17:13I'm the otherworlder!
17:15The one who helped you
17:16beat the dogkin!
17:19I've come to get you out!
17:20The men freeze,
17:22glancing at each other,
17:23but their weapons stay up,
17:24pointed right at me.
17:25I haul myself over the edge,
17:27gasping for air.
17:28Don't believe me?
17:29Go ask your prince.
17:31When you fought the dogwin,
17:32did someone hand him
17:33a box of chocolate?
17:34One soldier pauses,
17:36then turns and leaves to check.
17:38The cliff is huge,
17:39over 30 meters straight down.
17:41I'm completely wrecked.
17:42I drop to the dirt,
17:44sucking in air as sweat
17:44soaks right through my clothes,
17:46dripping down my forehead
17:47and matting my hair.
17:48A cloth appears in front of me.
17:50I grab it and wipe my face.
17:51Then a water canteen is offered.
17:53I snatch it and drink deeply.
17:55Don't finish it all.
17:57I freeze,
17:57the water still in my mouth.
17:59I follow the hand
18:00holding the canteen up
18:01past the golden armor
18:02to a helmet.
18:02Under it is a face
18:03carved as sharp as a blade.
18:05The gray rabbits
18:06poisoned the water supply.
18:08If you drink it all,
18:09no one else gets any.
18:10I shove the canteen
18:11back into his hands right away.
18:13I'm here to rescue you.
18:15He follows my gesture
18:16to where the ropes
18:17hang down the cliff face.
18:18The iron hooks
18:19clamped tight around
18:20the boulders at the edge.
18:21Draken has been trapped
18:22on Mount Cardon for days.
18:24The gray rabbits
18:24have the whole place
18:25sealed so tight
18:26that not even a bird
18:27can get through.
18:27He has barely managed
18:28to send out a single messenger
18:30and he never could have imagined
18:31someone would climb
18:32a sure cliff face
18:33just to reach him.
18:34How did you get up here?
18:35Was there no ambush
18:36below the cliff?
18:37I reach for his hand
18:38to stand up,
18:39but that's when I realize
18:40my lights are completely shot.
18:42There was an ambush.
18:43We handled it.
18:45You mentioned poison in the water.
18:47Explain.
18:47In my last life,
18:49the gray rabbits
18:50had set the exact same trap
18:51at Cardon
18:51and Draken had been pinned
18:53down the same way.
18:53But there had been
18:54no poison back then.
18:56In that timeline,
18:57he held out for half a month,
18:58surviving with his men
18:59on spring water alone.
19:00After two weeks,
19:02the gray rabbits
19:02ran out of supplies
19:03and had no choice
19:04but to sign a treaty
19:05and let the dragonkin walk free.
19:06This time,
19:07with poison in the water,
19:09there's no way out.
19:10All the gray rabbits
19:11have to do is wait.
19:12Once the dragonkin
19:13run out of food,
19:14it'll be over.
19:15Whoever came up with this plan
19:16knows exactly how
19:17the dragonkin fight.
19:19Draken leads us back
19:20to the temporary camp.
19:21The tent has only a single,
19:22thin bed
19:23and a rip in the ceiling.
19:24I wonder silently
19:25if it has rained
19:26over the last few days.
19:28Draken pulls off his helmet.
19:29You've all worked
19:30incredibly hard.
19:31Rest here for two days.
19:32We move out on the third.
19:34He turns to me
19:35and hands over
19:36a slab of raw meat.
19:37Eat.
19:38It's all we have left.
19:39You are completely
19:40behind the times.
19:42Back in dragonkin territory,
19:43we roast our meat now.
19:44We eat cooked food.
19:46Something shifts in his eyes.
19:47He looks at the raw meat
19:49and back at me.
19:50So I have to teach him
19:51how to roast meat
19:52all over again.
19:53Draken sinks his teeth
19:54into the dripping,
19:55sizzling piece of food,
19:56his eyes narrowing
19:57with appreciation
19:58as he gives a firm nod.
19:59This is good.
20:00Then eat more.
20:01He keeps eating
20:02and as he does,
20:03he keeps inching closer
20:04to where I sit.
20:05By the time he finishes,
20:07I'm practically pushed off
20:08the edge of the seating area.
20:09I stare at him
20:10and he stares
20:11right back at me.
20:12As he leans in closer,
20:13I plant a hand
20:14firmly against his shoulder.
20:16What exactly
20:16do you think you're doing?
20:17I just saved your life
20:18and this is the thanks I get?
20:20Confusion flickers
20:21in his eyes
20:21and he mumbles
20:22something brief
20:23about spending
20:23the night together.
20:24If you mean
20:25just getting some rest,
20:26fine.
20:27I'll help you relax.
20:28But anything else?
20:29Absolutely not.
20:31You've been away too long
20:32and you're out of touch.
20:33The dragonlyn
20:34don't operate
20:34like that anymore.
20:35We follow a soul bond now.
20:37One partner
20:38for life.
20:39I reach over his bed,
20:41grab a small medicine bottle
20:42and hold out my scraped hands.
20:44All right,
20:44let's just focus on healing.
20:46Help me put some of this on.
20:47Draken snatches the bottle
20:48straight out of my hand.
20:50That's for internal injuries.
20:51Glancing briefly at my hands.
20:53Yours are just surface wounds.
20:55You'll live.
20:55He flips around past me,
20:57lands face down on the bed
20:58and turns his back to me to sulk.
21:00Fine,
21:01I'll sleep alone.
21:02Happy?
21:03I roll my eyes.
21:04What a total drama king.
21:06Draken successfully pulls
21:07every last dragonkin warrior
21:09off that cliff face.
21:10Meanwhile,
21:10Marina keeps up the show
21:11at Mount Cardon,
21:13facing off against
21:13the gray rabbits
21:14to make them believe
21:15the prince is still trapped
21:16and dying inside the area.
21:17The moment Draken and his front line
21:19slip safely back
21:20into dragonkin territory,
21:21Marina fakes a retreat
21:22and vanishes right after them.
21:24Once we are back home,
21:25I go all in on
21:26setting up the soul bond system,
21:27pushing it across
21:28every corner of the territory.
21:30It's the same story
21:31with my cooking ideas,
21:32full adoption everywhere.
21:34Just like in my past life,
21:35the Warren wastes
21:36too much of their vital grain
21:37during the Cardon ambush.
21:38With their stores gone,
21:40they have no choice
21:41but to sign treaties of surrender
21:42with the dragonkin
21:43and every neighboring tribe.
21:44And the one bringing that treaty?
21:46None other than Emma.
21:48The gray rabbits
21:48have fattened her up,
21:49making her look clean
21:50and presentable,
21:51which means they are already
21:52shopping her around
21:53as a trade piece
21:54to other tribes.
21:55He is actively trading
21:56the women of his clan
21:57for information
21:58and grain supplies.
21:59As I limp toward her,
22:00a flash of pure glee
22:01flickers across
22:01her otherwise dull face.
22:03Selina,
22:04you look totally exhausted.
22:05Did Draken put you through it?
22:07Oh, don't take it so hard.
22:09Think about the old stories
22:10of noble houses back home.
22:12Every powerful lord
22:12had a network of wives.
22:14Don't worry,
22:15we're practically sisters.
22:16The exact day Draken
22:18tosses you aside,
22:19I'll have Snow arrange
22:20a safe place for you
22:20in the Warren.
22:22My face stays completely flat.
22:24No anger,
22:25no whimpering,
22:25no satisfaction.
22:27Honestly,
22:27don't overthink
22:28your situation.
22:29Draken isn't
22:30completely heartless.
22:32Worst case,
22:33he'll just reassign you
22:34to keep one of his
22:34high-ranking officer's
22:35company for a few days.
22:37The man might not have
22:38the prince's status,
22:39but he's still a commander.
22:41Just keep him happy
22:42and maybe you'll earn
22:43his favor.
22:45Why on earth
22:45would I want his favor?
22:47I eat really well here,
22:48I dress in warm clothes,
22:50and sometimes the dragonid warriors
22:51take me flying through the skies.
22:53Life is pretty darn good.
22:55Emma's face
22:55instantly darkens.
22:56When she first ran
22:57to the Warren,
22:58she kept all our food
22:59for herself,
23:00taking both her share
23:01and mine.
23:01For a while,
23:02that food got her
23:03a special spot
23:04with the chieftain.
23:05But the moment
23:05those supplies ran out,
23:07his thinking shifted
23:08toward how he could
23:08trade her off
23:09to refill their stores.
23:10Eat up then.
23:12Stuff yourself
23:12while you still have
23:13the chance.
23:14That way,
23:15when Draken has to
23:16drain your blood
23:17to heal his battle wounds,
23:19at least you'll have
23:19a little extra to give.
23:22Talk all you want,
23:23Emma.
23:23Get it all out now
23:24so you don't choke
23:25on your words
23:26when you finally realize
23:27this time isn't
23:28like the last life.
23:30Emma's eyes blow wide
23:31with sudden shock.
23:32The realization hits her
23:33like a physical blow.
23:34She isn't the only one
23:35who has been reborn.
23:36Don't you have a treaty
23:37to sign?
23:38Run along now.
23:40The dragonkin have
23:41changed the Great Hall,
23:42setting up a huge feast
23:43to honor the coming
23:44alliance ceremony.
23:45Draken has personally
23:46made sure I am given
23:47a well-known spot
23:48at the table.
23:48I refuse to believe this.
23:50You see me standing up there,
23:51majestic, in command,
23:53locking down a historic treaty,
23:54and you still refuse
23:55to spend the night with me?
23:57How many times
23:57do I have to explain
23:58this to you?
23:59It's called a soul bond.
24:00Marriage, not spending the night.
24:03You are the leader
24:04of a whole clan, Draken.
24:06Grow your vocabulary.
24:07The rules of a soul bond
24:08don't say a dragonich
24:09can't marry a human.
24:10You're a woman,
24:11I'm a man,
24:12and we can easily
24:13make it work.
24:14What's the problem here?
24:16A true hero
24:17doesn't get distracted
24:18by romance.
24:19Just give me
24:20an official leadership title.
24:21Thanks.
24:22Draken completely deflates.
24:24He turns on his heel,
24:26stomping off toward
24:26the head of the feast
24:27in a visible sulk.
24:28Chieftain Snow
24:29has been waiting
24:30nervously for his arrival.
24:31The exact second
24:32he sees the prince
24:33coming closer,
24:34his cold,
24:35calculating manner
24:36melts into a begging,
24:37overly flattering smile.
24:38He boasts very low,
24:39taking a posture
24:40of total submission.
24:41Prince Draken,
24:42taking time from your
24:43huge duties
24:43to talk with us
24:44is an absolute honor.
24:46Emma,
24:46give the sacred offering
24:47to the prince right away.
24:48She moves with a careful,
24:50swaying grace.
24:50Carrying a fancy tray
24:51draped in bright red cloth,
24:53she glides directly
24:54toward Draken's seat.
24:55She drops to her knees
24:56beside Draken,
24:57lifting the red cloth
24:57with slow,
24:58deliberate movements.
25:00Her fingers brush
25:00against his skin
25:01with very clear intent.
25:03Draken's brow furrows
25:04with immediate disgust.
25:05He jerks back
25:06from her touch,
25:07a nearby dragonkin officer
25:08steps forward instantly,
25:10moving her way
25:11from the high table.
25:12As she is forced back,
25:13Emma shoots a glance
25:14toward me.
25:15Resting on the tray
25:15is the gray rabbit's
25:16most guarded relic,
25:18bloodroot.
25:18A perfectly healthy person
25:19can eat it
25:20and feel a short burst
25:21of energy.
25:22But for someone
25:23nursing bad internal injuries,
25:25their weak heart and veins
25:26can't handle the strain.
25:27It makes existing wounds
25:29tear open violently.
25:30In bad cases,
25:31it is outright deadly.
25:33In my last life,
25:34when this treaty
25:35was finalized,
25:36Draken had been
25:36suffering from
25:37deep battle wounds.
25:38The gray rabbits
25:39offered the bloodroot
25:40knowing exactly
25:40what it would do
25:41to his body.
25:42The dragonkin,
25:43treating it as
25:44a normal medicinal gift,
25:45made it into a tonic
25:46and fed it to him
25:47to restore his strength,
25:48which nearly cost him
25:49his life.
25:49And here they are,
25:51trying the exact
25:51same kill plan.
25:52The only major flaw
25:54in their scheme?
25:54Draken isn't hurt.
25:56Having failed
25:56to catch Draken's eye,
25:58Emma slinks back
25:58to her assigned seat.
26:00Chieftain Snow
26:00glares down at her,
26:01his face twisting
26:02into a sharp,
26:03angry scowl.
26:04The sheer pressure
26:05from his stare
26:05makes her knees
26:06nearly buckle.
26:07She stumbles
26:07slightly as she sits,
26:09and that is when
26:09the fabric shifts,
26:10showing deep,
26:11dark bruises
26:12tracking up her neck.
26:13She scrambles frantically
26:14to fix her collar
26:15and cover the marks,
26:16looking up just in time
26:17for our eyes to lock.
26:18She starts to glare,
26:19but right away
26:20catches herself,
26:21shifting her expression
26:22into a pitiful,
26:22begging mask.
26:23Draken is still locked
26:24in a boring
26:25back-and-forth talk
26:26with Snow,
26:26and the rest of the hall
26:27is fully busy
26:28with the banquet details.
26:29The whole ceremony
26:30is putting me
26:31to sleep anyway,
26:31so I quietly get up
26:33from my seat
26:33and follow her
26:34out into the hallways.
26:35The moment we are
26:35clear of the crowd,
26:36Emma flips a switch.
26:38She grabs my arm
26:39with a sudden,
26:39intense warmth,
26:40acting totally thrilled
26:41as she pulls me
26:42into a deserted corner.
26:43She checks left and right,
26:45keeping up an air
26:46of complete mystery.
26:47I found a way back.
26:48Oh?
26:49What kind of way?
26:50She reaches into her clothes
26:51and pulls out
26:52two fancy pastries.
26:53I managed to steal these
26:55from the hidden stores
26:55of the Warren.
26:56Eat one,
26:57and we'll instantly go back
26:58to our original world.
26:59You hate this simple,
27:00backward place
27:01just as much as I do,
27:02right?
27:03I nod along.
27:04Emma shoves one of the pastries
27:05straight into my hand,
27:06her eyes locking onto mine
27:07with the exact same
27:08wild desperation
27:09she showed in her past life.
27:10This time, however,
27:12set on proving her honesty,
27:13she takes a huge bite
27:14out of her own pastry first.
27:16See?
27:16It's completely safe.
27:18Well, if it's not poisoned,
27:20then you should feel free
27:21to enjoy the rest of it yourself.
27:23Her face twists
27:24in a mask of pure rage.
27:25Realizing the trick has failed,
27:27she lunges forward violently,
27:28slamming me hard
27:29against the stone wall
27:30as she tries to force
27:31the deadly pastry
27:32straight into my mouth.
27:33I don't believe this!
27:34You cannot possibly be this lucky
27:36every single time!
27:37Back in school,
27:38I couldn't beat you!
27:39At work,
27:40I couldn't beat you!
27:41I refuse to accept this!
27:43I want another chance!
27:44I clamped my hands
27:45around her wrists.
27:46I got great grades
27:47because I studied
27:48day and night, Emma.
27:49I landed good jobs
27:50because I sent out resumes
27:51until my fingers bled
27:52and showed up
27:52to every single interview
27:54ready to fight.
27:54Unlike you.
27:55In school,
27:56you only cared about
27:56being the prettiest face around.
27:58At work,
27:59you just wanted
27:59the easiest,
28:00most glamorous title.
28:01And now,
28:02here,
28:02you are still wasting
28:04your life
28:04fighting other women.
28:05The fast-acting poison
28:07is already taking effect.
28:08A dark stream of blood
28:10begins seeping
28:10from the corner
28:11of her mouth.
28:12She claws desperately
28:13at her own throat,
28:14her mouth gasping open
28:15as she collapses
28:16heavily to the stone floor.
28:17I drop down beside her,
28:19shaking her shoulders.
28:20Emma's the antidote!
28:21Where is the antidote?
28:22Her lips move frantically,
28:24slit with blood,
28:25but no sound comes out.
28:26I have no idea
28:27if she will get another rebirth.
28:29But if she does,
28:30I truly hope she remembers
28:32what I told you.
28:33The news that a foreign messenger
28:34has just tried to kill
28:35the revered guardian
28:36who saved the Dragonkin prince
28:37spreads through the palace
28:38like wildfire.
28:39Chieftain Snow,
28:40who was still pushing hard
28:41over the finer details
28:42of the treaty,
28:43completely shrinks
28:43into his seat,
28:44his whole political power
28:46vanishing in an instant.
28:47In the wake of the scandal,
28:48both sides finalize
28:49a full non-aggression pact.
28:51The Grey Rabbit Warren
28:52officially submits
28:53to complete Dragonkin rule
28:54for a term of 100 years,
28:56needing full,
28:57unconditional obedience.
28:58Dragonkin officials
28:59will be permanently placed
29:00within their territory
29:01to oversee all local government.
29:03A leadership post
29:04overseeing the operations
29:05of a whole clan.
29:07Is that position
29:08important enough
29:08for your standards?
29:10That assignment will do.
29:11Barely.
29:12After the pact is signed,
29:14Draken keeps showing up
29:15at my tower every few days.
29:16Sometimes he brings
29:17freshly grilled meat skewers,
29:18sometimes he just stays
29:20and refuses to leave.
29:21Marina secretly tells me,
29:23When a dragonic male
29:24has chosen someone,
29:25he appears before her
29:27every day
29:27and won't leave
29:28no matter what.
29:29That night,
29:30Draken comes again,
29:31no food this time,
29:32just a dragon scale ring.
29:33He stands in front of me,
29:35the tips of his ears
29:35turning red,
29:36and says nothing
29:37for a long while.
29:38You're blushing.
29:39Dragonlin, don't blush.
29:40Then why are your ears red?
29:41He takes a deep breath
29:42and drops to one knee.
29:44Selina,
29:45first I place my life
29:46in your hands.
29:47Second,
29:47I change a thousand years
29:48of tradition for you.
29:49Third,
29:50marry me.
29:51Not one night,
29:52a lifetime.
29:52Get up.
29:53I won't get up
29:54unless you say yes.
29:55Aren't you going
29:55to put the ring on me?
29:56He jumps up,
29:57fumbles the ring
29:58onto my finger.
30:01I'll take it as a yes.
30:03Yeah,
30:03yes.
30:04The next day,
30:06Draken announces,
30:07The dragonkin
30:07adopt the Solbon system.
30:10I, Draken,
30:11take Selina as my wife.
30:13I stand beside him
30:14and he secretly
30:15squeezes my fingers.
30:16What are you doing?
30:18Making sure
30:19you're not dreaming.
30:19You're the one
30:20who's afraid he's dreaming.
30:21He doesn't answer,
30:22but his smile won't go away
30:24no matter how hard he tries.
30:25In the distance,
30:26smoke rises from
30:27the gray rabbit warren.
30:28This time,
30:29everything is settled
30:30and my life
30:31has only just begun.
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