Foolishly living.

That would be the term I would use to describe my observation of humans in my years of living.

There was a certain type of foolish tranquility that existed in human towns. I felt distaste towards the blissfully unaware habits of such weak organisms. Humans did not live more than one hundred years and succumbed to illnesses frequently. Still, they ravaged war to lower demonic species and put themselves in power struggles.

It was like they had no self-preservation towards themselves or their position in the circle of life. But I was to coexist with the same creatures that I went to war with. Life was ironic, erasing the lines between the superior and lowly.

I, a mighty dragon, could not understand. However, for the sake of my future conquest, I knew that I might benefit from doing so. It was unknown when I could go back and soon lead my army to ravage the very same village. I must learn all that I was able to.

Against his wishes, I continued to follow the human boy that I had met in the forest. We were heading towards his lord that makes potions for the town. Trailing behind him throughout the afternoon crowd of humans, I refused to let an opportunity slip by.

At first, there had been so much protest from the boy in letting me follow him. There wasn’t much he could do when I made no motion to stop trailing him. Eventually, he gave in and told me to follow closely or else he would ditch me.

We passed an assortment of differently distinguished individuals. Ranging from humans dressed in expensive clothes to beggars with sheets wrapped around themselves on the side of the streets.

Like Hellion, social classes existed among humans as well. I knew very well from Hellion that there were noticeable differences among the classes of demons that lived in the kingdom. Although, unlike human society classified off money; demons decided matters on power and ability.

Of course, the Morningstar bloodline produced the strongest demons.

I had seen a variety of different humans on our way to see the human boy’s lord. The potion shop was in the town center, bordering the massive water foundation that lay in the middle of the town. Oddly enough, the city’s wealthier areas exposed themselves as we ventured closer to the shop.

Soon, ladies in silk dresses traversed through hubs of vendors and shops along the streets of the town. Men in leather boots and grand coats wandered about with swords brandished on their sides.

I felt a sense of pity looking at the raggy shirt and dirt-covered face of my human guide. It was the underlying sense of duty that came from protecting my territory in Hellion that led me to want to question him.

“Are you incapable?” I wondered if his bloodline was incapable of producing a powerful lineage. Such circumstances would explain his training in the woods and the apparent state of his lowly upbringing.

I heard the human boy exhale loudly and walk faster, “I’ve never met someone quite like you. Really.”

“What does that mean?”

“Forget it,” He sighed, walking up to a small building in the middle of the shopping center, “As promised, here’s the potion shop.”

A bell rang as we both entered the small establishment. Shelves of potions lined the walls varying in an assortment of colors.

He stopped, sending a small glare in my direction, “I’ll fetch the old man. Don’t break anything or I’ll kill you.”

Like he could do that.

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I wandered over to a shelf of ruby-colored potions, bending down to read the marking of the glass bottles.

[ Health potions. Fifteen coins]

Admittedly, I was impressed at the quality of the potions on display. The mana that radiated off each glass bottle was decent by human standards.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say those ones match your eyes.” An old, jolly voice interrupted, emerging from another section of the store.

I stood back up to meet the older human that was followed by the human boy.

This must be his lord.

“Hello, you must be the lord of him,” I pointed to the cross-looking human boy that stood next to him.

Another jolly laughter filled the shop.

“My worker warned me. Indeed, you are quite a funny fellow. I suppose that you’re partly right, young lad. It’s nice to meet you. I am the owner of the shop and his boss. Feel free to call me Mr. Homburg.” The old man chuckled, setting himself behind the counter.

What was so funny?

Once he was sitting on a wooden stool placed behind the counter, he motioned both of us over.

“Jamie, why don’t you introduce me to your new friend?” The old man requested.

“We’re not friends.”

“Jamie.” The old man doubled down on his request with more force in his voice.

“Fine. This is a strange person that I found in the woods and won’t leave me alone.” The human boy, now known as Jamie, huffed.

The old man turned to me, flashing a warm smile, “I apologize for my worker’s brash attitude. What’s your name, young man?”

Well, I couldn’t give my actual name. As remote as this village appeared, I doubted that they never heard of the demon general Arsylm Morningstar. My name was well-known throughout the human lands.

Instead, I gave a spin-off.

“It’s Asta.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Asta.” The old man cheered, not noticing the sneer that Jamie shot from across the counter.

He chuckled, fixing his glasses, and sighed, “Jamie, go show him around the town before the night falls.”

Jamie shot straight up to complain, “Why do I have to show that weirdo around?” He argued.

“Because I told you so and I let you sleep in the store,” The old man gave him a chilling smile.

I decided that I liked this older human.

He scoffed, biting his tongue and grabbing my wrist out of the door, “Let’s make this quick then.”

We set down on the busy street, brushing past the shop goers that were on their way from work. Passing humans flew in the sky using wind magic, soaring above the chaos below.

Jamie marched in front of me. Occasionally, he would blurt out a building's name as we passed in a mutter, but never really elaborated on anything. Other than that, we continued to navigate through the crowds, making turns here and there. It was difficult to push through the crowd.

A person flew past us in the sky. I stared up, my eyes following the trails of magic that followed the flying people.

It was simple wind magic, only a one-layered spell. Demon magic held different energy readings than human magic, but for a simple spell like this, it was doable.

“Jamie.” I called out to his fleeting figure, grabbing his wrist and pointing to the sky at a passing magic user, “Can’t we do that instead of pushing through the crowd.”

Something like that would be more efficient.

Jamie rolled his eyes scoffing, “Stop joking. First, you make comments about my class, and now you tease me with this. Be serious.” He started to pull away, but I persisted.

“I don’t understand what you mean. But isn’t it quite simple wind magic?” I asked, even if he said no I would do it anyway. But it was simpler if he just agreed so I can continue to use him to find my way around.

His expression relaxed, morphing into a confused one, “...Do you really not know?”

“Huh?”

“That.” He pointed to another person flying in the sky using magic, “You’re saying you know how to do that.”

I nodded.

He sighed, “...Prove it then. I don’t know how to. But, if you can cast it on both of us, I’ll be able to steer myself.”

Simple enough. I wave my hand, a light blue glow forming around us, lifting both of us in the air.

“Holy!” He shouted, frantically looking down at the crowd below and then at me, “You were serious! Holy heck! You weren’t kidding!”

“Uh, yeah.” Okay. I didn’t think it was something to marvel at.

“Sheesh! You may be tall but you’re younger! Where did you learn this? How old are you?” He spun around, his arms focusing on balancing himself in the air as we moved forward above the crowd.

Actually, I learned how to use this wind magic a few seconds ago. At least, the way this technique is applying it. I should keep this hidden though to not raise suspicion. Magic took a while to learn but I had been surrounded by it since I was a hatchling. I had assumed humans did as well, but judging from the reaction from Jamie I questioned that theory.

Or Jamie was just incapable. Both seemed like a feasible answers.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how this body was placed in terms of human age. Factually, I was two-hundred-six years of age but that was extremely young in dragon sense.

I was called young prince for a reason, not even five hundred yet.

My human form reflected that. However, the extent of that was unknown. In Hellion, I stayed in my dragon form because the human one required the use of mana to maintain. The royal policy that held guidelines for protection requirements for assassinations prohibited my taking of this human form. I never had the opportunity to ponder the logistics of this form.

“...How old do you think I am?” Brilliant. Two birds, one stone.

Jamie scoffed again, “I’ll humor you. My guess would be sixteen,” He pointed to himself, “I’m seventeen, which makes me older than you.”

Sixteen, huh? Bold coming from a short human.

I went with it.

“You may be right, but you’re still short.” I reminded him, earning a scowl.

“Hey! Since I’m older than you, don’t you think you need to be respectful?” He pointed out.

This human whined incessantly. I would be caught dead before I bowed my head to a human.

I rolled my eyes, “Like you deserve it?”

I didn’t stay long enough to hear the shouting that resulted from this comment. Though, I imagined his arms flapping around like they did in front of the guards.

The wind supporting my body through the air increased in power, I zoomed ahead smirking, letting his fading shouts drown out in the wind.

The moon started to rise, reflecting among the red tiles of the roofs.

I laughed, wind streaking through my hair, as I soared ahead with wind magic.

It felt like flying.

But it was unfamiliar to me.

My left shoulder panged once more.

A ghostly pain that reminded me of reality. A dragon that couldn't fly was useless to Father. To Hellion.