#caldice

Abbadom and Caldice met each other as children and became fast friends, as in the other universe. Abbadom was the daughter of a local lord's blacksmith, who taught her how to wield weapons, and she lived with her family in a small village near the lord's castle, while Caldice lived in a cave nearby in his nest with his mom. Tensions between the humans and dragons living within this area are high, but Abby and Cald continue their friendship regardless.

When they grow up, Abby marries a merchant while Cald becomes a knight (well, technically first he would have left to be a page and then a squire, but let's defy logic for the purpose of shitty story-telling), their paths separating them. Cald serves his queen dutifully and unquestioningly, while Abby runs her household and starts to be influenced by the racism towards monsters around her.

Abbadom's lord was no less aggressive towards monsters than the commoners living on his lands, and staged a rebellion against the "monster queen". One of his actions is to completely destroy Caldice's nest. The rebellion is put down, with help of Sir Caldice, who fueled by anger and grief completely burns the rebellious lord's lands, in the process killing Abbadom's entire family.

Abbadom turns vengeful from loosing her family. She swears revenge on all dragons and monsters who walk the earth, especially the one she was once foolish enough to call a friend. She quickly gains reputation for being a skilled hunter. She wears the claw of her first kill as a trophy on her neck. She travels from place to place, weeding out the dragons she meets. But her true goal is Caldice, the one directly responsible for widowing her and leaving her childless.

Caldice begins to experience guilt and doubt in regards to his actions, and his service. He ends up slowly turning away from his duties and escaping to the royal library. Gradually, he ends up the librarian's assistant, no longer able to find the conviction in himself to perform his duties.

Meanwhile, Abbadom continues to travel and hunt through the lands, and to gather a band of racists to overthrow the queen.

"Hey." she greeted him.

Hello. his reaction echoed in her mind. It felt intrusive, unwelcome in the sphere of her thoughts.

"So the ball was fun." she said, hoping for some semblance of normalcy. Caldice was unresponsive.

"It would have been better if you had come with us." Still no reaction.

"Though you've been such a grump lately, that maybe not." Abbadom spat out, bitter.

A grump? Cald answered. Well about time.

"Yeah. A grump."

Interesting. Abbadom waited for some continuation, a cry of indignation, but he stayed silent.

"Zero, if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, just tell me!" Abbadom cried out, annoyed. Caldice had been acting increasingly distant as of late, and as Abby began connecting with other people, she was seeing less of a point to stick to someone who didn't even want her around.

Why would you think that I do not desire to be friends with you? Caldice seemed confused, even hurt. Abbadom didn't care anymore. Her frustrations with him had piled up and begun to burst, and she was done with him.

"Oh, I know why you let me hang around you! Because you feel like you have to, because you pity me, because you need to repay your debt to me 'cause I saved your life that one time, well you know what? I don't want unwilling company! I'm sick of you sticking around out of obligation and treating me like trash for it! I can't… take it anymore."

Caldice stared at Abbadom in shock, unable to formulate an idea to show her.

"I need to concentrate on my studies. With how they're progressing, I'll be stuck a farmer or nanny the rest of my life. I don't want that. I can't waste time on people who don't want to spend time with me anyway. I don't want to see you again." Abbadom stood up abruptly. She sprung up, and took to the air quickly.

You are my only friend please do not leave… Caldice tried to say to her, but her mind was guarded and impenetrable.