Damian had no idea that his mount would cause such a commotion, but that was the plan all along. He wanted everyone to know him, which would make it easier for him to find his friends and father.
"Are we really going to kill goblins? Like, I get that you're an old dragon without power, and I have mine sealed too, but goblins? Come on," Raikono said.
"We have to start from the bottom and build ourselves a reputation. I promise you this will get better," Damian said.
Raikono and Frederic's situation was not good. Both of them did not have their full power, but fighting goblins seemed like a joke. Not that Frederic complained about it. In fact, he was the opposite.
"I think goblins are nice. There's no way we will lose, and that means we are safe!"
"React, old bones, react. You were once a mighty dragon, and look at you now?"
Damian sighed, tired of hearing the two argue, with one being scary while the other wanted to return to its past glory.
"Relax, you two. We are a team, so we need to be on the same page."
"Where's this goblin village anyway? And why are we killing them?" Raikono asked.
"There's a human village near that lake," Damian pointed at a lake in the distance, "Can you see it? Anyway, the request comes from there, so we have to go there and get more information about it."
They flew across woods and plains, saw rivers and lakes, and stopped at a specific one. The lake had no name, and was surrounded by mountains and deep forest.
Damian had yet to enter the area, only watching it from the sky, but he could already feel the peace, hearing the birds singing, the small insects fighting for their life every day, and the burbling sound of the water, with fish jumping out of it occasionally.
"It feels so nice here."
He was not the only one feeling the peace. Frederic, despite not showing it, was on edge since he left the destroyed dragon city. Hymot had yet to wake up again, meaning he was alone, without his dragon friends, just like the time he spent in the city, hiding from the specters.
"Can I just land in the village? Or will they get scared?" Raikono said.
They stopped mid-air above the lake for some time, watching the scenery.
"Let's stop by the lake for some rest, and then go walking into the village. It is not far from the lake anyway," Damian said, and then he pointed downwards, "I can already see a fisherman over there."
A man was sitting near the lake with a fishing rod in hand. He was one of the many people from the village who fished, as it was one of their ways to get food.
Damian came down from the sky, and when the man saw the massive white wolf surrounded by thunder, he wanted to drop the fishing rod and run, but Damian stopped him.
"Don't be scared. We are adventurers who came to answer the call about the goblins. I believe this is the village that needs help, right?" Damian said.
The fisherman sighed in relief, "You almost got me there. Is that your mount? Pretty impressive that you can tame something like this. I wonder why is the Adventurer's Guild sending powerful members to deal with goblins…"
Anyone who saw such a creature would firmly believe Damian was someone of a high position, one of the big shots that ruled over the tenth floor, yet it was not the case at all.
"We will chill by the lake until you are done with the fishing, and then you can show us the village. How does that sound?" Damian said.
"Wonderful! I was afraid my fishing would have to come to a halt."
Damian was there to help. He did not want to disturb the man's fishing. Maybe it was a necessary thing for him to put food on his family's table.
For that reason, Damian, Frederic, and Raikono stood near the lake, laying on the grass, feeling the breeze hit their faces.
As time went on, more people came to the lake. When they saw the massive wolf near the fisherman, they all wanted to go over and ask about it.
"Sebastian, can I pet the wolf?" a little boy asked.
Sebastian was the name of the fisherman Damian had met first. Once everyone realized that Raikono was friendly, they all wanted to pet him, especially the children.
It was not unusual for them to see creatures, but most of the creatures were dangerous, like the goblins, so it was rare to find one that they could have fun with.
Raikono didn't mind at all. He liked the children, and seeing everyone there for him reminded him of the old days when he was present in many tribes and people believed in him.
"Alright, that's enough petting," Sebastian said, picking up one of the children in his lap. "Let's go back to the village. The big wolf and the two men are here to help."
"They're here to help? Will they deal with the goblins? Wonderful, wonderful! I'll finally be able to play with my friends without having to worry!" one of the children said.
Damian could see that the goblin threat was affecting the daily lives of all the people in the village, and even if it looked like a simple quest for him to accomplish, it meant much more to those people.
After Sebastian was finished fishing, everyone present went back to the village with him, showing Damian the way.
It was not far from the lake, about 1 kilometer, or maybe less. When the villagers saw Raikono, they wanted to run and hide, just like what had happened to Sebastian.
But then they noticed the children and Sebastian near the wolf, as well as Damian and Frederic.
"Is it friendly?" they thought.
The person in charge of the village, a muscular man, shirtless, with a massive scar on his chest, came to meet them.
"May I ask who you are?" he said, placing his hand on a large axe attached to his back.
"We are adventurers who came in response to your call for help. Goblins?" Damian said.
The big man relaxed and smiled, in contrast to his intimidating appearance before.
"So you are here for this. Come, come, I will explain everything!"
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