The Young Demon Lord and her Maid-Knight

Lilith looked around, scanning the area, but everything seemed as it should. Shaking her head, she muttered to herself, "Why is my portal here? I'm pretty sure I focused on placing it right next to Ratatoskr's portal. Hmm... I guess I still have a lot to learn."

She wrung out her dripping hair and climbed out of the water, shivering slightly. With a resigned sigh, she walked toward Ratatoskr's portal and stepped through.

On the other side, Ratatoskr was waiting, his small face breaking into an expression of shock when he saw her soaked from head to toe.

"Lilith!" he exclaimed, his tail bristling with surprise. "What happened? And why are you using my portal?"

"Well," Lilith began, brushing water off her clothes, "I must have made a mistake somewhere. My portal ended up opening at the edge of the lake near the waterfall, and when I stepped through, I fell straight in. What a cold shock that was." She chuckled lightly, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

Ratatoskr blinked, then let out a hearty laugh. "I see! That makes sense. Portals are a different kind of teleportation magic—they're trickier and less forgiving than simple self-teleportation. It's nothing to worry about; these things happen. But we'll go over your technique later to figure out what went wrong."

"Thanks," Lilith said, feeling slightly reassured.

"Now," Ratatoskr continued, giving her a once-over, "let's get you dried up before you catch a chill. Zecond must have dinner ready by now, and I'd rather not face her wrath if we're late!"

Lilith laughed, imagining the towering giant waiting with hands on her hips. "Good point. Let's head back."

As they made their way to the house, Ratatoskr glanced back with a glint in his eye. "Still, for your first real attempt, you did great, Lilith. You're learning faster than I expected. Just watch out for lakes next time!"

Lilith rolled her eyes with a grin. "Noted."

Unbeknownst to Lilith, the shadowy figure that had followed earlier lingered near the fading remnants of Lilith's portal. With a faint chuckle, it murmured, "She's sharper than I thought. This will be entertaining." Then it vanished into the surrounding trees.

Zecond gasped when she saw Lilith dripping wet as they approached the house. Her expression shifted quickly to a stern glare directed at Ratatoskr. "Oh my, Lilith! What happened to you? You look so cold and soaked! Ratatoskr, did you let this happen?"

Lilith raised a hand to explain before Ratatoskr could respond. "It's okay, Zecond. I summoned a portal and walked through it, but it wasn't perfect. Instead of opening next to Ratatoskr's portal, mine ended up closer to the edge of a lake. So, when I stepped through, I fell straight into the water." She shrugged and chuckled lightly. "It was bound to happen at some point—I still have a lot to learn."

Zecond's stern expression softened into a smile. "Well, that's part of learning, little one. Come inside and warm up." She led them into the cozy home and gestured toward the table, which was brimming with an assortment of delicious food. As she grabbed a thick blanket, she handed it to Lilith. "Here you go, Lilith. Wrap up while we eat. You need to stay warm."

"Thank you," Lilith said gratefully, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

Zecond then turned to Ratatoskr, her tone deceptively sweet. "Husband, could you come with me into the kitchen? I need some help bringing in the rest of the food."

"Yes, dear," Ratatoskr replied, though there was a subtle tremble in his voice that only Zecond noticed.

As they entered the kitchen, Zecond immediately smacked Ratatoskr on the head with enough force to make his fur bristle. "What were you thinking?" she scolded in a hushed but intense voice. "She could have gotten hurt! A lake? What if she had hit her head or worse?"

Ratatoskr winced, rubbing his head. "I—I didn't plan for her to land there, I swear! It was just meant to challenge her a little, not...that!"

Zecond's eyes narrowed, but after a moment, she sighed. "Three minutes," she muttered. "That's all you get to redeem yourself."

When the duo returned to the dining table, Ratatoskr looked a little deflated, though he quickly plastered on a smile. Nothing else seemed amiss, and the cozy atmosphere soon returned. Laughter and cheerful chatter echoed through the house, creating a warmth that spilled into the night.

As the evening wore on, Lilith excused herself to retire for the night. Exhausted from the day's training, she quickly fell into a deep sleep. The soft glow of her necklace shimmered in the darkness, and Aurora's translucent form emerged silently, hovering over her.

The dragon spirit gazed at Lilith's peaceful face before gliding through the door into the hallway. There, she found Ratatoskr nursing a fresh lump on his head, courtesy of Zecond.

"I see your wife has already taught you a lesson," Aurora said dryly, her glowing eyes narrowing.

Ratatoskr sighed, his ears drooping. "Yes, yes, I get it. No need for you to pile on, too."

Aurora crossed her arms. "I told you to give Lilith a setback, not to risk her safety. What if she had hit her head or drowned? You're supposed to be guiding her, not endangering her!"

Ratatoskr held up his tiny hands in surrender. "Shh! Keep your voice down, or you'll wake her up! Look, I made a mistake, alright? I'll do better. Zecond already reminded me of my place," he muttered, rubbing his sore head.

Aurora sighed but relented. "For her sake, I hope so. She trusts you, Ratatoskr. Don't make her regret it."

With that, the spirit floated back into Lilith's room, her presence fading into the calming glow of the necklace. Meanwhile, Ratatoskr sat in the dimly lit hall, silently vowing to approach Lilith's training with a bit more care going forward.

Zecond stood tall outside her house, her arms crossed as she gazed into the forest. The moonlight cast an eerie glow through the trees, but her expression was firm. "You're lucky this time," she said, her voice low but resolute. "Nothing bad happened to her, and it may help her in the long run. But don't you dare do anything unsafe again, Loki."

From the shadows, a small figure emerged, walking toward her with a confident stride. "Good evening, Zecond," the trickster god greeted, his sly smile barely visible in the dim light. "Don't worry, I've got everything under control. I'm a master of tricks, after all. This was just a harmless little prank. I was there the entire time, watching over her. She only got wet, and I got a small laugh. No harm, no foul."

Zecond's eyes narrowed, her towering presence dwarfing the mouse-like figure. "And you think that makes it okay?"

"More than okay," Loki replied with a playful smirk. "In fact, I think you'll enjoy it. Want to see?"

Zecond raised an eyebrow, intrigued but skeptical. "See what?"

Loki reached into his robes and pulled out a shimmering orb. "This," he said, tossing it gently to her. "Look into it."

Zecond caught the orb effortlessly, her curiosity piqued. She peered into its glowing surface, and an image of Lilith's surprised expression as she fell into the lake played out like a vivid memory.

Zecond burst into laughter, a deep, hearty sound that echoed through the clearing. "Oh my, oh my! That face! That look! She's just like a child when you see her like this!"

Loki chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. "Exactly. A harmless little trick to keep her on her toes. As you can see, Zecond, I've got everything under control. Nothing bad will happen to Lilith while I'm around. I'm the one in control here."

Zecond's laughter subsided, but a small smile lingered on her lips. "I guess 'Prankster God' is another title for you, then," she said, her tone a mixture of amusement and warning.

Loki grinned and gave an exaggerated bow. "As always, it's my pleasure to entertain."

Zecond shook her head but couldn't help the faint grin that crept onto her face. "Just remember, Loki. If anything goes wrong, you'll have me to answer to. Understood?"

"Understood," Loki said with a dramatic flourish. "I wouldn't dream of crossing you, Zecond. My tricks might be sharp, but your wrath cuts deeper."

With that, Loki vanished back into the shadows, leaving Zecond standing under the moonlight. She glanced at the orb once more, chuckling softly to herself before heading back into the house.

I will keep this orb. what a fun memory to have.