Rex waited for Tristan, taking shelter, using the overhang of a building close to the gate, incredibly bored. He had taken the time to go out and buy a waterskin to hold some water in, but he now had nothing else to do. He wanted to do something. To practice his swordsmanship, to meditate, even having a drink sounded fine to him right now, though his draconic constitution seemed to make it incredibly difficult to actually indulge himself. Incredibly useful and incredibly annoying. It looked like he was still far from being able to simply enjoy a good bottle of alcohol. Something he’d always hoped to be able to do, but was never able to. Not with how busy he was back in the day. Not with how important it was for his mind to stay clear.

The young boy sighed as he waited patiently. An hour passed, then another half of one, before Tristan finally arrived. He was also wearing a cloak, looking to be made of leather, but not quite as thick. Certainly if any human was wearing a similar cloak to Rex’s right now they would be sweating from the heat. While Rex felt it, it didn’t bother him. He walked up to Tristan and after a nod to each other they started walking together, leaving through the gate. It was technically still early afternoon. Probably only around one in the afternoon by Rex’s old standards. They would be able to still travel a few hours for the day.

“How far to this village of yours? You said it was in the mountains so it’s at least a few days right?” asked Rex as the rain poured, soaking them both unpleasantly.

“If you’re used to travel then we can probably make it within five days”

‘Meaning I could have made it in about three on my own. Maybe two.’ Rex immediately compared in his mind. He wasn’t making fun of the man. It was just a habit. Comparing human capabilities to his own. He needed to get a grasp of what he was capable of compared to them. He knew that humans could become much stronger in this world than the humans of his own. He knew that his current ability was within those bounds, but he was still the age of a ten-year-old boy. In fact, not even. His abilities would keep increasing as long as he grew while humans needed either months upon months of hard work or a staggering amount of talent to get to where he was right now. He was not only working hard, but gaining strength passively over that time. That’s all he needed. Time. With time he would be able to attain a level of power where he wouldn’t need to fear the law, nor anything else.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Rex snapped out of his thougts at Tristan’s words.

“You looked really… intense for a moment.”

“Ah…” Rex realized that he had failed to hide his frustration, letting his thoughts appear clearly on his face. “It’s nothing. This rain is just annoying me to no end.” A stupid excuse, but one that should work considering the reputation of Drakin and that Tristan barely knew him. The old man didn’t ask for more.

The journey continued without any particular mishap. They stopped at night, the rain having let up by that point. Still everything was wet and they had no way of starting a fire. They ate the food they had readied in advance and went to sleep. Even Rex was tired as he had skipped sleep yesterday and this was his fourth day without it. They woke up in the morning and once again set out. The weather seemed like it would hold up for that day and that it thankfully did. The day was spent mostly walking. Neither Tristan, nor Rex were the talkative type of people so they didn’t say much.

It was evening when they arrived at a village and decided they would spend the night there. They found a relatively cheap inn, both renting their own rooms, going to bed after having some of their rations. While the inn provided food for an additional price none of it looked appetizing and both had packed enough food for the travel already. Tristan didn’t want to waste what little money he had while Rex just didn’t enjoy leaving food to spoil. While the dried meat would hold out for a good while, the fruit easily became closer and closer to spoiling after each of the warm days they traveled. Tristan spent the night sleeping while Rex meditated on his essence, his mana, with little success.

They set out again in the morning. Another day of travel allowed them to reach a village at the foot of the mountain, where they spent another night. And the fourth day, after spending it in climbing the mountain, they camped close to the path they had taken. One which wasn’t worthy of being called a road. After discussing some things about the next day they both slept the night. While Rex still wasn’t tired he decided it was necessary. The next day they reached the village at noon. The village had a palisade surrounding it with a wide opening where the path went through it, serving as an entrance. It was surrounded by forest, giving it a refreshing feeling to Rex who had been in an age where places like this were mostly nonexistent.

They walked through the entrance which Rex noted didn’t even have a gate. He supposed that a village this small probably didn’t even have enough people to watch over it. Though contrary to his beliefs as soon as they entered he saw what seemed like a guard standing to the side. “Looked like a guard” may have been a bit of an overexaggeration. The man, nay boy was young. Probably still in his teens. He wore some basic leather armor and had a shortsword dangling from his side. That and the vicious glare he was sending Tristan and him were the only things that made Rex recognize him as one. He looked too… inexperienced was an understatement. He probably had no idea how to use the sharp stick he had at his waist.

“Tristan! What is the meaning of this?!” he asked loudly, demanding an answer, instantly causing Rex to get slightly annoyed. ‘Great. It’s one of those people’ he thought. Needlessly loud, with such a judging gaze. Rex sighed, letting go of his annoyance. He just needed to wait for this to be dealt with by Tristan.

“What do you mean?” asked Tristan back. He knew what the boy was asking. He really did. But he didn’t know where to start. He was hoping a more concrete question from the young boy could fix his dilemma.

“Where are the adventurers you were supposed to bring? And who’s this brat?!” the young man asked this time.

Rex thought the old man answered this, but he had already tuned out the conversation before he could get too upset at the unknowing boy. He looked around the village from his position. The village was small. There were less than thirty houses in its entirety, but plenty of free space, differentiating it from the bustling and cramped city he had been in less than a week ago. There was plenty of grass growing on the ground and though most of the trees seemed to be cut down there were a few still left here and there. The buildings were all made out of wood, but they had stone chimneys coming out of them. Except one which seemed to have two. He was willing to bet it was either someone of authority in the village… or a blacksmith.

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The village gave off a sense of familiarity and coziness. A homely feel. The kind of place where everyone knew each other. A tightknit community. Rex thought it might someday be nice to live in a place like this. His thoughts of being a hermit in Nocturnalis were appealing, but so was this. A village where he could live out a peaceful life, however long that life lasted. He could be the local hunter, maybe help some others with the craft, maybe teach the militia how to swing a sword. He could only hope that someday maybe one of the races would accept him and allow him to live with them in such a place. Or better yet. Maybe a place where even the different races got along would be even nicer.

“Rex.”

The dwarven blacksmith that pounded away at his anvil all day. The elves, tending to plants and learning to hunt. The demons, Esthel’ros they were called, working as the militia. The human who would brew some fine ale and would occasionally invite everyone for a rowdy night of drinking. He imagined himself there. Waking up to the pounding of the hammer. Leaving his house and seeing his neighbor tending to his flower garden, bringing a pleasant smell to his sensitive nose. The thoughts appealed to him.

“Rex.”

Thinking about it like that even this youngster who had insulted him was probably just the local troublemaker. Or maybe he simply loved this village that much. Yes. Yes Rex could understand his feelings now. The lad was surely frustrated that there were no promised men to come help them defend his village. Of course he would. He grew up here. He loved this place. He didn’t want it to be destroyed by a random og-

“Rex!” Rex heard finally as he felt someone put their hands on his shoulders.

“Huh?” He muttered in confusion as he turned and saw a mildly confused and worried-looking Tristan staring at him along with the youngster. “Oh. Sorry what was that?”

“You…” Tristan sighed, almost as if giving up.

“Seriously, old man. This is who you brought? This is who is capable of helping us fending of an ogre?”

“Arin I-” Tristan began talking before being cut off.

“Now, now. I promise I’ll help you take care of the ogre. I heard there’s even some people from the village willing to help. It shouldn’t be that hard.” Rex explained generously to the young man by the name of Arin.

“You will? Really? Okay enlighten me on how a, at most ten year old brat will help us defe…at the… ogre…” he began his words only to slow down by the end of his sentence. For the first time Rex had looked him straight in the eyes as they talked. And while the light blue color of his eyes was unusual he was not one to know that it was almost inhuman. What was completely within his mind to comprehend were the draconic slits lining the insides of his eyes, replacing what should have been the human round pupil.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, lad?” Rex asked, smugly. He might have understood where the boy was coming from, but he wasn’t one to avoid a slight bit of teasing on the side.

“Y-You. What are you?!”

‘Ah ever the loud one.’ Rex thought while grinning. He lightened the tight fit of his cloak, leaving it more open and revealing his hands, covered with scales on the back, pulling back his sleeves as he did for Tristan, revealing the scales continuing up his arm.

“Listen, boy and remember it well. For this is what one looks like when they inherit the blood of dragons.”

Arin’s eyes widened ever slightly further upon hearing this before Rex turned his back.

“Tristan. Take me to your home. I want to talk about a few things with you” he beckoned the old man as he walked off.

Tristan only gave the boy a weak smile and pat him on the shoulder before running after Rex, catching up to him quickly and leaving the bewildered youth to his own thoughts.

“Wasn’t that a bit unlike you?” The hunter asked as soon as he was caught up. Even though he had only known the young Drakin for a few days they had spent almost all of their time together and he had had the chance to observe his behavior quite extensively. He usually kept up a cold front, not boasting about his race, nor showing much emotion at all.

“Was it?” Rex asked back, not realizing how strange what he had done was considering his usual behavior. “Well. The boy needed some proof that I’d be able to protect the village. Or at least help in doing so. I provided him with quick proof.”

Tristan understood that couldn’t have been the only reason. He had done the same to the hunter after all. But with him it was different. He had even seemed annoyed to have to do so if anything. ‘Maybe it just wasn’t as fun to tease an old man.’ He thought. It seemed strangely plausible. Arin had fallen into a reaction amusing enough for even him to crack a smile. Something he rarely ever did, much like the scaled boy.

“This is it, by the way.” He said as he stopped in front of a modest wooden house of two rooms. As he opened the door and walked in Rex followed. There were two trophies of animals hung on the wall. One was the head of a large black bear while the other of a large boar. Both seemed like they would be incredibly fine catches. There were no others showing Tristan’s high standards for hunting. He was a man proud of his career and not taking anything less than magnificent as a trophy. The others were most likely either taken by the other hunters in the village or not at all.

The furnishings weren’t impressive by any means, but Tristan walked over to a wooden table, taking off his cloak and hanging it on the wall. He then proceeded to take off his equipment underneath. A bow, a quiver and a skinning knife. Even if he hadn’t gone hunting he’d taken the tools of the trade. Something Rex had noticed quickly while travelling with him.

Rex walked over as well, taking off his cloak and hanging it on the back of the chair before taking the rest of his equipment off and sitting down. Tristan was already sat.

“Now what did you want to speak about?” asked the old man.

“Hmm… let’s start with the location of the ogre’s cave. You mentioned it, but never gave me a proper location.’

“The cave… it’s less than a day’s walk through the forest away to the west.”

Rex nodded “Then what about the other people that wanted to help? What can you tell me about them?”

“One of them is Arin. You already met him” Rex was slightly surprised, but nodded. “Another is a man named Michail. He’s one of the hunters in the village and a pretty good one at that. He’s in his mid-thirties if I remember right. Has a wife in the village and is a good shot with a bow.” Rex nodded. “The last one is a guy named Lean. He’s still young, but he’s older than Arin, in his early twenties. He can wave around a sword, but that’s about it. There’s no swordsman in the village so those who do have them are left to figuring out how to use them themselves. Both Arin and Lean are part of the militia that’s supposed to protect the village in case of attack.” Rex nodded again.

“What about you? Will you be coming?”

“Of course I am.”

“That’s five people including me.” Rex put a hand on his chin as he thought for a moment. “Very well, then. I’ll be staying here for today and tomorrow I’ll be going out. I’ll probably be back in a week.”

“What?!” screamed out, Tristan unconciously.

“Calm down. I’m not leaving. I’m going to search through the surrounding forest. Get myself familiar with the terrain and see if I can’t come up with a plan to get rid of the ogre.”

“I-I see. Right. Sorry. But the ogre might attack at any moment. There’s no time to waste. We should leave for the subjugation tomorrow at the earliest.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the ogre doesn’t attack the village while I’m away.”

“How?”

“That’s a secret. But I promise you I won’t let it attack. Just trust me and have patience.”

“… Okay. I’ll trust you.”

“Good.” Rex said before stretching. “Ah. Now then. I’ll be meditating and I’ll sleep tonight.”

“Just so you know I only have one bed.”

“That’s fine. I can sleep anywhere. Don’t worry about me.”

The old man nodded. He wasn’t young enough to sleep on the floor without having some problems with his muscles the next day, but the young Drakin was more than capable of the feat. Rex got off his chair and sat down, beginning his meditation, hoping that today will finally be the day his magic would awaken. But just like that, time flew, and by the time he opened his eyes it was dark in the room and he could hear the rhythmic breathing of the sleeping old man from the other room. He laid down, his back to the wall. And just like that. Fell asleep.

He woke up when it was still early. Too early for even the hunter to be up. Rex guessed the effectively short nap he had was a result of already sleeping the previous night. He wondered for a moment why sleeping as often wasn’t a problem before while it was now, quickly deciding it was a matter of age. He was a newborn back then and while he had matured quickly it was no longer as simple to sleep so often. He quietly equipped himself. He donned the cloak and left in early morning. It would be a busy week, but he wanted this hunt to be successful so he decided. For once. He would put in as much effort as he possibly could to ensure that.