Tengu and I landed in a village full of other avian half-breeds. There were different avians ranging from Ducks and Swans to Doves and Ravens. I did see a few other species such as the canine and feline hybrids along with some ursine hybrids. Tengu led me to her home and knocked on the door.
Her home was pretty big, three story house and it seemed like her family was pretty rich.
I noticed the door open and a woman with light blue hair, blue eyes, and wore a white nightgown opened the door. Her face was full of shock when she saw Tengu at the door.
"Mama, I'm home and with a friend." Tengu smiled.
"We aren't friends...more like Acquaintances who's goals align with one another." I crossed my arms.
The woman looked at us then let us in. We walked in and I commanded Aermyth to stay outside and not to cause trouble. The woman closed the door.
"Ares dear, can you come to the front please. We have visitors." The woman said.
A man with short black hair, red eyes, and a trimmed beard walked out of the kitchen and looked at us. He wore a white button up shirt, blue jeans, and black socks with black slippers. He looked a bit surprised to see Tengu then hurried over to her and hugged her.
"Urk..! P-Papa! Too...tight..!" Tengu grunted and struggled to breath.
Ares let go of Tengu and held her shoulders. "I was so worried that Silent Fox had gotten to you...Master Crow told me to not worry as he was certain that you wouldn't be harmed and he was right...I am glad to see you and you have..."
"Mama, Papa, this is Hisumi. She's...an Overlord." Tengu started then both Ares and his wife squawked in shock, pulling her away from me.
"Overlord..?! She's full of evil!" Ares said. "Snowflake-"
"Wait! She's not evil! She's fighting against Judgement Order to help save the world! She was to become a Ruler...but I guess the world pushed her over the edge, but I promise you that she isn't evil." Tengu defended me and looked at Snowflake and Ares.
I crossed my arms and closed my eyes then turned away. "That's fine Tengu. I'll get by on my own. Besides, I don't plan to stick around for too long anyway. Our partnership is only temporary anyway. Once I finished what I need...you will be nothing but a memory to me."
Tengu watched me walk out of the house and she looked at her parents then they let her go. She hurried out of the house and noticed me getting on Aermyth. "Hisumi wait!"
I looked at Tengu and glared. "Leave me alone. You've played your role in helping me escape the cruel reality of this world. I won't sit around and be used by you either...I will not be your key or anyone else's key for that matter." I blew the whistle and Aermyth flew off.
Tengu watched Aermyth fly away with me on her back. She looked a bit disappointed. "I wasn't going to use you..." She said disappointedly then walked back inside her home.
A few hours pass and Aermyth landed in a forest then I got off her back and sat at a lake alone and hugged my knees. Aermyth laid beside me and wrapped her tail around my waist.
"Aermyth. What type of Fell Beast are you..? I know you're a Dragon Beast..but you've got types or classes or levels of power as well right..?" I said and looked at the water.
Aermyth looked at me and looked at the water then began to use the water to form letters to communicate with me. She formed the words, Goddess Level Fell Beast.
Her answer surprised me not because of the answer, but because she could respond to actual human language with words of her own. They taught Aermyth how to communicate via Japanese. I looked at her words then looked at Aermyth.
"What are your origins? Were you created or revived as a dragon?" I asked.
She used the water to answer and formed the words, Origin: Overlord Villain. Revived from Overlord of Deceit. Original name was Lokia.
Her answer made me fear just how much power Judgement Order truly had to be able to turn dead Demigods into puppets of their own.
"Do you think I'm being too hard on Tengu..?" I asked.
Aermyth didn't hesitate to spell the words "yes" in front of me. I smiled and lowered my head. I used my finger to draw on the dirt.
"I'm just tired of being used by others. Silent Fox is right...even if I wasn't used by her...even if I escaped her and fled back to mom and the others...I was probably bound to be used by them, but not in the same way that Silent Fox planned to use me. The world needs me...I am the one key needed to stop all of this and...because I am so important..." I stopped talking when I felt Aermyth use her tail to pull me closer to her. I leaned against her and closed my eyes.
Aermyth really seemed to understand my feelings despite being a past Overlord of Deceit. I let out a small sigh and opened my eyes again seeing the words, "Give Tengu a chance".
"Alright...I'll give her a chance...tomorrow." I said then closed my eyes again. She closed her eyes as well and we fell asleep together by the lake.
Aermyth was now taking the role of my guardian. I felt a bit of a connection between us and felt safe around Aermyth. She gave off a protective energy that soothed my mind from all the negative thoughts in my head.
The next day arrived, and Aermyth and I were headed back to the village to find Tengu. Aermyth spotted Tengu at the park on a swing set. She flew down to the ground and landed on the ground, scaring Tengu and some of the other people at the park.
"Sorry...about that...I told you to land gently..! You nearly crushed that poor Panda Girl..!" I said and Aermyth turned her head then shook me off her back then used her tail to push me towards Tengu. "Stop that..! I know what to do dammit..!"
Tengu looked at me then watched Aermyth fly off. I walked to the swing next to Tengu then sat down and began swinging back and forth slightly.
"So..about what I said yesterday..." I said then looked at the ground.
Tengu stayed silent and began swinging as well. She looked at the ground, listening to me.
"I was just stressed out...and tired of being needed for my power and my past. I really want to just be free from my curse and find a way out of this life I live. I feel as if...I am the only woman who's going through this. Being reborn was one of the hardest things I've been through in the course of a month and a half. I just said those things out of stress and I didn't really mean it...I swear I didn't mean it.." I said.
"I understand how you feel. Although we come from two different backgrounds I feel like we are somewhat the same...my mother and father are by far the most honest and greatest people and I still don't know why I ran away from home when I was younger, but Silent Fox took me in...when she noticed my broken wings. She was a mother to me at the time, but soon she noticed my unnatural talents. I...honestly felt really stupid back then. I couldn't run away back home because I got myself into that mess. I regret every moment, every life I took, every deed and task I carried out. I know it's not to the same abuse or torture you endured, but Silent Fox was just as cruel to me as Hikaru was to you because behind closed doors...I was being gaslit, verbally abused, and just...spiritually broken to the point I couldn't fight back. She treats Hazuki like a King...she treats him like he's almighty...I couldn't take it.." Tengu ranted then noticed she was ranting and went quiet.
There was a bit of silent before I decide to speak up.
"We both lived fucked up lives. Both of us punished for our unnatural talents. It seems as if our generation of people are being punished just for being alive...and those who were born with the power to become a Ruler are punished harder than others...to a degree." I said.
"I just want our world safe. A world where we can live peacefully and not worry about having to look over our shoulders all day everyday." Tengu said. "Silent Fox promised us a world where we no longer had to worry, but we are about to get a world full of misery.."
"She needs to be stopped at all costs. She's worse than a monster. She's the real villain. An incarnation of evil. She will be stopped no matter what along with my father. I still have a bone to pick with him." I said. "Judgement Order also has the power to revive Overlords. Aermyth used to be an Overlord and was reborn as a Fell Dragon. Who knows who they will revive next and where our world will be shifting to next."
"We both aren't ready for the horrors of Judgement Order, but that's why we must prepare ourselves for war. Our generation is important and we must be ready for everything. So...will you stand by me?" Tengu looked at me.
I looked at Tengu then smiled a bit and nodded. "I'll use my Overlord powers for good and stand by you."
Tengu smiled and nodded then continued to swing for a bit with me. We spent our morning together at the park and made plans for the entire day.