Chapter 217: Sharing is caring
The mercenaries hesitated, but then one of them, a middle-aged woman with dirty blonde hair and a sword at her side, stepped forward. She looked like the leader of the group. "Of course, mighty dragon," she said. "We would be honored to have you."
I smiled and approached the fire, my massive frame casting a shadow over the mercenaries. I could see the fear in their eyes, but also the fascination and awe. They were brave, to have let me join them like this. But then again, they didn't really have much of a choice. Who in their right mind would reject a dragon?
We sat around the fire, the mercenaries still in astonishment and disbelief at my presence. There was a total of five of them. The middle-aged woman, who looked like the leader, the young brown-haired archer, two tall men that looked like the team's tanks, and finally another young lady with short curly black hair, and two short daggers strapped by her side.
Just as I've been observing them, so have they. It was not an everyday occurrence that one shares a fire with a dragon. After a few moments of agonizing silence, the middle-aged woman introduced herself;
"Mighty dragon, I am Althea, the leader of this group," she said with a bow.
The brown-haired archer next to her introduced himself as Oliver. The two tall tanks introduced themselves as Axel and Rook. And finally, the rogue introduced herself as Ava.
I nodded my head in acknowledgment, my eyes shifting from one mercenary to the next.
"The humans here seem to know me by different names," I spoke, causing the group to shift nervously, "But I am called, Aether."
Surprised, the mercenaries glanced at each other for a few seconds. The entire situation was too odd, too strange. Who would believe them if they said that the harbinger of death himself joined their camp and was talking so casually to them?
Athena nodded and replied with a bow: "It is an honor to meet you." The rest lowered their heads after her. I simply nodded.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she continued;
"So, mighty Aether," Althea said, "What brings you to these lands? Surely it is not just chance that we have met."
Hearing her question, I paused for a second considering my next words before answering;
"I am on a journey, traveling across the human world."
The mercenaries looked surprised. "What kind of journey?" Rook asked as he gathered his courage, his arms crossed over his chest.
"A journey of self-discovery," I said, my voice deep and rumbling. I raised my head and glanced at the starry sky before I continued, "I feel like there is still much that I do not understand about the world and about myself."
The mercenaries listened in silence, their surprised faces quickly turned thoughtful. They seemed to understand what I was saying, even though they were human and I was a dragon.
I did not know what overtook me to share my thoughts with these people, perhaps I was simply in such a mood, but I didn't care much as I continued.
"I've been in this world for a while now, yet sometimes, deep down, I feel like I am still an outsider like I do not truly belong in this world." I smiled before continuing, "So I travel," I said. "I travel to see the world and to learn about it, to meet new people, and to discover new things."
'To see if this world is one worth saving. One worth putting my life on the line for it.' The last thought I kept to myself.
The mercenaries nodded subconsciously, their faces sympathetic. They had probably felt the same way at some point in their lives, like they were searching for something that they could not name. Their eyes that initially looked at me with fear and awe had a newfound respect in them, their gazes were filled with understanding. They had probably never thought of a dragon as someone who could be on a journey of self-discovery, certainly not the most famous harbinger of death, but now they saw me in a different light.
It seemed like my words had somehow put them more at ease. "Well, we wish you luck on your journey, mighty Aether," Althea said with a smile. "And if you ever need a place to rest or a meal to eat, you are always welcome at our campfire." She added.
A chuckle escaped my mouth as I thanked her for the invitation. I doubted I would ever see these people again after I part ways with them, though I had to admit it was interesting having a conversation like this with someone else, someone that is not a dragon. I had no doubts that this night would remain in my memory for a long time, the night I joined around their little campfire.
"What about you, what brings you here?" I inquired.
Athena was the one to reply again, "We are mercenaries, hired by the kingdom to deal with a monster that has been spotted in the forest ahead."
I raised my eyebrow in surprise. "A monster?" I repeated. My mind automatically thought back to the creature I just encountered.
"Yes," Althea confirmed. "The kingdom has received reports of a creature terrorizing the nearby villages at the edge of the forest. It is said to be huge and fierce, with rippling muscles and thick, armored skin. They have offered a handsome reward to anyone who can slay the beast, and so we have taken up the challenge."
Their description only further confirmed my suspicions.
"Do you know what kind of creature it is?" I asked.
Althea shook her head. "No, not yet. We have only just arrived in this area, and we are still gathering information. But we will find out soon enough." Her eyes gleamed with self-confidence. It appeared that this was not their first time fighting monsters.
"Although the reports have been vague, but we know that it's dangerous. That's why we've been hired to take care of it."
"I see. And are monster appearances a normal occurrence in these parts?" I asked again.
Athena glanced at her companions, Oliver was the one to reply this time, "Mighty Aether, monster appearances could be considered normal, although the frequency of their appearances seem to have increased as the years go by."
"Interesting." I nodded.
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