The Young Demon Lord and her Maid-Knight

As the sun rose on yet another day of training, Lilith stood by Ratatoskr, her determination unwavering. Ratatoskr conjured his portal with practiced ease, its swirling energy stable and inviting. "Alright, Lilith," he said, his tone encouraging. "Set up your portal once more, and this time, focus on stability and placement."

Lilith nodded, channeling her magic. Within an hour, she had created a portal that looked identical to Ratatoskr's. She scrutinized it carefully, comparing every detail to her teacher's portal. Satisfied, she took a deep breath and stepped through.

SPLASH!

Lilith tumbled out of her portal and into the river yet again. She emerged from the water, drenched and frustrated, and dragged herself onto the shore. Muttering to herself, she trudged toward Ratatoskr's portal to return. "This makes no sense," she grumbled. "Why does this keep happening?"

But the pattern repeated. Each day, Lilith created her portal with painstaking care, only to find herself unceremoniously dumped into the river or lake. The cycle of trial and error stretched on for an entire week.

Meanwhile, every night after Lilith retired to bed, Zecond stood outside her home, waiting. The little mouse-like figure would emerge from the forest, carrying an orb with the day's recordings. Zecond would take it with an amused smile, and her laughter echoed softly in the night as she watched Lilith's bewildered expressions and unintentional swims.

One evening, as Lilith lay in bed, exhausted from the day's repeated mishaps, Aurora emerged from the necklace. Hovering near her, the dragon spirit spoke softly. "Young one, you're troubled. I can feel your frustration growing. You sense something is off, don't you?"

Lilith sighed, her brows furrowing. "Yes, Aurora. I don't understand why this keeps happening. My portals should be stable, but they keep sending me into the water. I've compared mine to Ratatoskr's—there's nothing wrong with them."

Aurora's translucent form shimmered thoughtfully. "Sometimes, what you see on the surface isn't the whole truth. Pay closer attention tomorrow. You may notice something you've overlooked."

Taking Aurora's advice to heart, Lilith approached her training the next day with renewed focus. She watched intently as Ratatoskr created his portal, noting every detail of the process. When it was her turn, she mirrored his steps and crafted her portal again. But this time, she didn't step through immediately.

Instead, she stood back, her eyes narrowing as she observed. After a moment, a faint shimmer of light rippled across the edges of her portal. It was subtle—barely noticeable—but it was there.

Lilith frowned, her mind racing. "That shimmer wasn't part of my magic…" She glanced at Ratatoskr, who was busy inspecting a nearby tree, seemingly oblivious. "It's not him," she thought. "Then who or what could be causing this?"

Determined to find answers, Lilith stepped through Ratatoskr's portal instead of her own, returning to the house. She had a plan to catch the culprit and finally solve the mystery of her mischievous portals.

As Lilith returned to the training site, she called out cheerfully, "Ratatoskr! I've brought lunch from Zecond!"

"Oh, what a delight!" Ratatoskr replied with a bright grin, his bushy tail flicking behind him as he bounded over to her.

The two settled down beneath the shade of a large tree, unpacking the delicious meal Zecond had prepared. Lilith began speaking as they ate, her tone thoughtful. "I think I've figured out what's been going wrong with my portals. There's something... off about them, but I'm determined to find a way to fix it."

Ratatoskr listened intently, nodding as he nibbled on a piece of bread. "Good, good. That's exactly the kind of determination you need, young one," he said with a small, amused smile. "But remember, setbacks are just as important as progress. If everything came easily, you'd never be prepared for the struggles ahead. Those moments of difficulty teach us resilience and ingenuity."

Lilith nodded, absorbing his wisdom. After finishing their meal, she stood up, her resolve renewed. "Alright, let's get back to it!"

The duo returned to the training field, where Ratatoskr conjured his portal once again for her to study. Lilith focused hard, channeling her magic as she carefully mimicked his technique. After nearly an hour of effort, she finally created her portal.

"This time, I've got it!" she declared triumphantly. Without hesitation, she stepped into the shimmering gate.

SPLASH!

Once again, Lilith tumbled out of her portal and landed in the river. She sputtered as she surfaced, wiping water from her face. Dragging herself to the shore, she wrung out her cloak, frustration boiling beneath her soaked exterior.

"Why does this keep happening?" she muttered, glancing back at her portal. That's when she spotted it—a faint shimmer and movement near the edge of the portal. Squinting, she saw a small figure hunched beside it, its tiny hands moving in subtle gestures.

"There!" she shouted, pointing at the figure.

The creature froze, then bolted toward the underbrush. Lilith climbed out of the river and pursued it, her wet clothes clinging uncomfortably to her skin. She approached carefully, ensuring her steps were quiet so the little trickster wouldn't notice.

As she got closer, she called out firmly, "Stop right there!"

The figure halted, and as Lilith stepped closer, she recognized it—a small, mouse-like creature with gray fur and mischievous eyes. It turned slowly, its whiskers twitching nervously.

"Oh, well… this is awkward," the creature squeaked, attempting a shaky smile.

Lilith crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Care to explain why you've been tampering with my portals? Or should I take you straight to my friend Zecond and let her deal with you?"

The creature flinched at the mention of Zecond. "No need for that! Let's not get her involved, please! I'm just following orders!"

Oh so it knows of Zecond, Lilith amused to herself.

"Orders?" Lilith's tone sharpened. "From who?"

The mouse hesitated, wringing its tiny paws. "I… I promised not to say…"

Lilith sighed, her patience wearing thin. "Look, I'm wet, cold, and very tired of falling into rivers. If you don't start talking, I'll let Zecond handle you personally."

The mouse squeaked in alarm, caving under the pressure. "Alright! Alright! It was Ratatoskr! He asked me to, uh, give you a bit of a challenge. Said it was part of your training—to help you learn from unexpected setbacks."

Lilith's jaw dropped. "Ratatoskr?! He's been sabotaging me this whole time?!"

The mouse nodded nervously. "He thought it would build character… and, um, he thought it was funny."

Lilith's expression darkened. "Funny, huh? Oh, he's going to regret this."

The mouse backed away, its ears drooping. "Please don't tell him I told you! He'll never let me live it down!"

Lilith smirked. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me… for now. But you owe me. If I ever need a favor, you'll help me. Deal?"

The mouse nodded eagerly. "Deal!"

With that, it scurried off into the forest, leaving Lilith alone. She shook her head, wringing water from her hair. "Ratatoskr," she muttered, her tone a mix of exasperation and amusement. "You're going to pay for this."

As she stepped through Ratatoskr's portal to return to him, a sly smile crept onto her face. It was time for the teacher squirrel to taste of her teaching.

As the evening settled in, Lilith returned to Ratatoskr, her steps confident. "I've got it," she said with a triumphant smile. "I figured it out, and now I can make portals without falling into the water!"

Ratatoskr's bushy tail twitched, his eyes narrowing slightly in a mix of suspicion and curiosity. However, his expression quickly brightened again. "Well, that's excellent, Lilith! I'm proud of you. Now, let's hurry back to Zecond—she's probably waiting for us."

The two made their way back to the house. As soon as they stepped inside, the delicious aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air, and Zecond's cheerful voice boomed, "Welcome back!"

They gathered at the table, eating and chatting about the day's training. As they finished their meal, Lilith leaned toward Zecond. "Zecond, can we talk in private later?"

Zecond raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued, and nodded. "Of course. We can step outside while Ratatoskr handles the dishes."

Ratatoskr's ears perked up, and he started to protest, but a single stern look from Zecond silenced him. "Yes, dear," he mumbled, gathering the plates.

Outside, the cool night air greeted them, and the forest around them was bathed in the silvery glow of moonlight. Zecond glanced into the trees, her expression calm but knowing. "You can come out now," she called.

From the shadows, the small mouse-like creature emerged, its tiny paws clutching an orb. It approached Zecond and handed it to her with a polite bow.

Lilith's eyes widened in shock. "Wait a minute…" she gasped. "Zecond, you knew?"

Zecond nodded, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Of course I knew. I could smell the magic from the very first day. And I've been getting a little... entertainment out of it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lilith asked, her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration.

Zecond chuckled, holding the orb up to the light. "Lilith, what would you have learned if I had told you? Nothing. Training isn't just about being taught—it's about discovering things for yourself. Besides..." Her grin widened. "This little one has been giving me these orbs every day. Watching you tumble out of portals has been quite amusing."

Zecond activated the orb, and an image shimmered to life, showing a vivid replay of Lilith falling through her portal and landing in the water with a splash. The younger woman's cheeks burned with embarrassment as Zecond laughed heartily.

"And," Zecond continued, her tone playful, "this little 'mouse' isn't what he seems. He's Loki, the trickster god of Asgard."

Lilith's head snapped toward the creature. "WHAT?!"

Loki, in his diminutive form, chuckled nervously, raising his tiny paws in defense. "It was all in good fun! A harmless prank! And let's be honest, you've learned a lot about portal magic because of me."

Lilith's face flushed with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. "You've been recording me this whole time? And showing Zecond? How humiliating!"

Loki's grin grew wider. "Oh, come now, Lilith. If you can't laugh at yourself, you'll never survive the real challenges ahead. Besides, admit it—it's a bit funny."

Lilith clenched her fists, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Funny? We'll see how funny you think it is when I start pranking you back, Loki."

Zecond, still laughing softly, patted Lilith on the shoulder. "Now, now. Don't be too hard on him. He may be a trickster, but he's also taught you something valuable. And," she added with a smirk, "those orbs have been priceless."

Lilith groaned, her face buried in her hands. "Why do I feel like I'm the only one not laughing at this?"

Loki winked. "Because you're the star of the show, of course!"

As Zecond and Loki shared a conspiratorial laugh, Lilith sighed. "I swear, one day, I'll get the last laugh... just you wait."