"What would you think if I said that I was once a woman who had no dream, no direction in life"

"Hmm, I'd think that you easily got everything you wanted and just got bored of everything" I spewed out the first words that came to mind

"Yup, that's pretty much it. Being a princess and all, everything that I asked for was given to me" Arc smiled bitterly before continuing her story

"Then the war came, my parents died but I felt nothing... I didn't feel like taking revenge on whoever took their lives, I just felt that everything was natural and told myself that I'd forget about them in due time. In the end, I really did forget about them, I can't even remember their faces anymore. One day I got bored and decided to roam, I left Sanctus mons and just kept flying wherever the wind took me. Everything felt new, villages, cities, humans, elves, beastmen, and other more living creatures but it never quelled the boredom I felt"

"So what did you do?" I asked

"I never really knew how to satisfy my boredom so I kept on traveling until I saw a man, fighting demons all by himself, despite his bloodied and wrecked appearance, he chose to stand his ground and protect the men that deserted him"

"Don't tell me that that guy was me" I deducted

"That was you" Arc smiled

"I was curious, why won't the man run away like the rest of the others? So I watched on as the man dyed his sword with the demons' blood, it was amazing really, I never thought fighting would be so much fun so I decided to hunt down monsters. I was trained by father before so fighting monsters were easy, I enjoyed cutting through flesh, the whimpers, the screams, and the agony yet I was still haunted by this boredom... I kept contemplating on what was wrong, what was missing until I saw a small village. I wanted to destroy it to entertain myself even for a bit but then I saw a man and a woman, being happy just by being together. It then came to me, perhaps it was not a feeling of boredom I've been having, maybe it was a feeling of longing for someone who I want to share my life with... a companion. I started thinking of things that were required for my ideal companion but my thoughts were interrupted by a hunter who has come to collect the bounty on my head"

"That's when I met you" I already made a name for myself when I ventured out to hunt for Arc, she was known to have destroyed many villages, be it humans, demons, elves, dwarves, and beastmen so it was only natural for her to have a hefty amount of sum placed on her head

She kept telling a story while I listened to every sentence, we reached a small river where I decided to let the horse rest. We both unmounted and sat by the riverside, I grabbed some firewood and built a campfire since it was starting to get dark. Arc hunted a wolf and started gutting it, looks like we'll have roasted wolf tonight. We both ate the meal and after that, she snuggled close to me and continued her story

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"Yeah, It was our second meeting. I recognized you right away so I didn't move and just stood there, waiting for you to attack me. I thought you were just an easy kill but you fought on and pushed me back a couple of times and then out of nowhere, you ask "Why are you doing this?" I was dumbfounded, why would you ask an enemy for their reason to kill? I asked myself but I soon found myself answering your question"

" 'My life has been an entire cycle of nothingness, I only seek satisfaction'

I was so surprised by the words I said but was even more shocked by your answer.

'Then if I satisfy your battle hunger, will you join me in my quest?'

You asked, I couldn't answer because I was confused with what I wanted. You started attacking me and I was only left with the option to defend myself until you finally defeated me, I was expecting you to do something like beheading me or ravaging me but you smiled and offered me your hand, you even called me 'partner' It was then that something went off in my heart. I looked at you as if you were something so precious, I was confused as to why I felt like this so I ran and left you there by yourself. I kept thinking about the feeling that I felt when I was with you, it was nothing like the vexing boredom, it was just... a mixture of joy, happiness, and all the good things. From then on, I started following you, finding out your name, your preferences and everything else about you"

"When you died, I felt my entire world shatter, nothing mattered, I grabbed the closest weapon and was about to kill myself beside you but I saw... the shadow of death, he whispered to me, telling me to wait for your return. I knew that it was impossible that I might've gone crazy yet I believed and you really did come back... from then on, I swore that I would be beside you"

Arc finished her story as she leaned her head on my shoulders, it was already dark. The fireflies gave off a gentle glow as the river reflected their serene dance, the insects let out a symphony as the fire danced to it while the wind gave off a gentle breeze.

Arc looked at me with her eyes that were filled with infatuation

With the most gentle voice, she looked at me and spoke out

"I love you"

She always said those words to me but this time, the impact was different, it felt like it really did come from the heart... I felt her heart speak to mine...

I might really fall for this woman

She tried to kiss me but I stopped her

"Too soon?" she asked in disappointment

"Too soon" I replied

She hung her head low but I pulled her head closer and gave her a peck on her forehead

"...I- wha- whe- wh- how- I-" Arc kept stuttering and kept speaking incomplete words

"For now settle for this"

"...Thank you" She can't hide the smirk on her face

I never really thought that Arc had suffered this much, I pulled her close and just enjoyed the warmth of the fire along with her it might seem like an action out of pity but I did this as a way of thanking her for all that she's done for me.

I woke up the next day with Arc wrapped around my body, her wings covered both of us as she laid peacefully on my chest. I carefully moved the strands of her hair away from her face, she gently opened her eyes and looked up to me.

"I... I've always dreamed of this" Tears formed on Arc's eyes

Arc really looked happy, I didn't want to ruin it so I allowed her to use my chest as her pillow.