Galen Vesa

“So, you came by huh?”

The impudent thing remained silent and floated where it appeared.

“I'm not a good person. Neither I’m a hero.”

I stood up and came to face it.

“However, you seem to need me for whatever reason. Let us bargain. Help me find Erta's child and bring them together. After that, I'll do whatever you want.”

I reached out to it, my palm open, awaiting to accept the staff.

“Do we have a deal?”

The lantern floated before me. Silent. Undecided. Did some unknown power weight my life on a scale? Was I deemed useful? Or perhaps just a necessary sacrifice? Whatever the reason, after what seemed like hour, it floated into my grip and I closed my fingers around it, sealing my fate.

And the voices came back like a wave of tsunami. An odd sensation after such a long time in silence.

“Master?!”

The moment the seal lifted, Cora appeared beside me, crouched and ready to strike or pounce at an enemy. Her hands gripping a heavy wooden club, sprinkled with poisonous spikes.

“Put that thing away. There's no one else here.”

I felt her spell spread around us and bounce back to her before she relaxed. Not trusting my words huh. That's… good, I think.

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere we have no reason to be. Not anymore.”

“Is that so…”

Her eyes were focused on the staff I held.

“An advice, toss that thing away. It is… evil.”

Evil, huh? If it were that simple. Yeah, well, anyway too late for second thoughts now.

Roomie?

Nothing. Instead of a chain of blasphemous courses silence answered me. Why? I could feel her presence and the uproar going on in my mind but my lovely dragon with her vile tongue remained silent.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“What’s going on in there? Where’s Erta?”

“Your lizard is resting. Your staff tried to roast her. For whatever reason, it did not work. A shame.”

A shame. Eh.

“Cora,”

“Yes master?”

“Would you like to express your undying love for my amazing dragon and make up with her? Hugs and kisses included. Would you?”

“Preferably not, master.”

Aha. Just why did it sound like try it and I'll kill you.

“Then be civil to each other. Please.”

Well, if she was listening, she made sure not to show it. Instead, the dryad went around the house then outside into the garden. Her fingers dug into the soil.

“This place, we should not be here.”

“No we should not. Unsumon your body. I can feel the lantern growing restless. We will not stay here any longer.”

She vanished as she came. I on the other hand, went back inside. The book rested where I left it.

A sudden pang of pain stabbed me in my arm, the lantern becoming hot to the touch.

“A moment more if you can.”

I filled a vase with water and fetched a rose from behind the house. They grew everywhere akin to weeds but Rooth liked them for some reason. Propping Aeree's portrait against the vase, I put the cookies nearby and left the house with the book in my hand.

“I am ready.”

Space shivered around me and I sailed through the time back to where I belong. As odd as it sounds in my lips, the moment my feet touched the imperial paved road, I knew I was where I should be.

“It can go two ways old man; you give us your gold, or we gut you and your family.”

On the other hand I could be dead wrong about that. Well, at least I knew where I was. From the looks of it, the shit stick brought me to the bridge near Fenira were I had my run in with a blarg. Not the fondest memories.

“I beg of you, spare us! I am no merchant, we have no gold…”

I always thought bandits should look like dishevel hoodlums but this one beating up a defenseless man gave the impression of a knight in shining armor. City watch if I were to risk a guess. Or ex-city watch if their superiors learn about it.

“Your last chance, gold or your life, choose.”

“I have a third option; you idiots go and jump off this bridge before I remove you from my way.”

Why did I say that? My mouth kind of moved on its own when the knight yet again sunk his boot into the lying man. In the silence that followed, one could cut the tension with a knife. Did none of them noticed a barefooted elf in the middle of the road wearing nothing but a maid’s apron? And they call themselves bandits.

To help them decide I tiptoed closer. Perhaps they could not see that well in the weak pre-dawn light? Their boss, captain or whatever he called himself recognized me. That or he suffered a bad case of reflux. His eyes opened wide and all the blood drained away from his face.

“Well?”

To his credit, he was the first to jump, setting an example for his men. Soon they all followed. Who would have though that my pointy ears would come in handy in such a place.

“Don’t kill papa! I won’t let you!”

With no one to restrain her, a girl run in between me and her father. Well, that’s what you get for being known as monster.

“I don’t kill little girls or their daddies. You should report this when you get to the city.”

I turned on my heels and began to walk away.

“…Thank you...”

The beaten man found his tongue.

“May lord Shamuu repay you kindness. We have no gold but what little we have…”

Huh? I just had to turn and look back at them. He stood with his hand outstretched, a thin purse on his palm. Probably their entire savings. No, I had better idea.

“Do you have any spare clothes?”