"So?"

Ayren sighed once he noticed Loon peeking from a tree in front of their path, with his big blue eyes locked on his figure.

"No." Ayren replied "This is the fifth time you ask, enough. Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, crossing his arms, walking past the half dragon, who kept his grumpy glare.

"You know much information about me, but you won't be sharing anything about you?" he asked, walking next to him and Ayren looked at him with an obvious glare.

"Can't you use, I don't know, your powers to read my mind and get to know everything you want?" Ayren said ironically, and Loon crossed his arms, like he was actually thinking about it.

"It just wouldn't be as fun as getting you to talk about yourself," he replied with a shrug.

"Can you actually do that?" Ayren asked, feeling a little bit in awe towards Loon's blue eyes locked on his figure.

"What if I can? Could it be... you're afraid I might discover something about you?" he asked, leaning in with a challenging smile. Ayren's red eyes locked onto him, unwavering. The swordsman tilted his head, his gaze far from scared or concerned, while Loon wore an almost playful smirk.

"No, because your head would be chopped off before you actually manage to do that." he replied with an obvious tone, laying a hand on his face, pushing him away, like an adult to a noisy child.

"Hey! My nose!" Loon complaint as he got pushed to the side, to leave the path free for the swordsman to walk forward, ignoring him.

Loon was really surprised to see a human totally disinterested in him, that made him just even happier to follow that grumpy swordsman, and what was even funnier was the fact Ayren was begging the Gods or anyone in Heavens to reach the village to get that weird dragon off him and get back to his never ending quest of finding death.

It was a simple thought.

Ayren's eyes sometimes would lay on his own jade pendant hanging from the neck; a symbol of his family he betrayed, but still wanted to reach.

He was... human. He wasn't meant to live those many years. Probably his own mind was easily poisoned by the death mana of the curse because no human had the mental strength to live that long.

Hilariously tragic, not even his own sword enhanced could break the curse. Ayren was alone against himself and everyone.

"Aren't you interested in my story with details?" Loon asked once again, walking side by side and Ayren sighed "If you tell me anything about you, I will give you all the details, and maybe you might get ideas and realize you could make me a great resource for you."

"Oh, but you are already." Ayren commented under Loon's surprised stare. The swordsman turned to him and leaned closer to Loon's face, making him flinch from that sudden closure "You're a great resource of headaches." he continued, to then keep walking, leaving the half dragon on spot for a moment.

"How rude." Loon commented grumpily, and Ayren left him with a terrifying side eye to then close his eyes, trying to elaborate an answer to make him shut his mouth.

"You shouldn't care about knowing someone who's going to part ways soon with you." Ayren said with an obvious tone "I am a swordsman, who lives to fight, end of it."

"You live for death?" Loon sighed confused "But you didn't try to kill me."

"Because I do kill only when it is needed or if the people I have in front are an obstacle." Ayren looked at Loon, who was for a moment surprised "I have nowhere to belong to, but I stay on my principles... I try to keep my honor. There's no fun in killing people who can't protect themselves, or do not seek for a fight."

Loon smiled as if happy with that answer, and Ayren tilted his head "Why do you smile?" he asked and the half dragon's tail moved a little. His eyes were filled with sadness, the smile was actually hiding a painful memory of his.

"Because I wish the Emperor was sincere..." Loon looked at the forest "Those were the words who made me believe he was good... It feels like I have heard these words before, but this time my heart would love to believe you're telling the truth... But should I believe? I used to believe in the Emperor's words but they've turned into lies..." he sighed "I made him taste something no mortal should taste... and got insane." Loon looked like he was getting mad at his own thoughts "Humans... When you get to taste power... You change... You become... so different."

"What kind of power?" Ayren asked, and Loon looked at him in his eyes as if he was judging him from the question.

"This." Loon made a golden orb appear and floated up his own hand as water made of mana was flowing around it "This is the key of my life essence, and key of my power connected to the nature of this world... Its magic is unlimited... Too much for a mere human to tame." Loon explained, and Ayren looked at the golden orb shining, making its rays go through the water that was floating around it, creating a beautiful play with the sunlight and colors.

"Do you seek power?" Loon asked and the swordsman laughed.

"Why should I seek power?" he asked, locking his fiery red eyes onto the half-dragon's deep blue ones.

"Why?" Loon tilted his head, like he was getting confused by Ayren's question "You're human. You should know." He muttered alternating his gaze between the life orb and the swordsman, who couldn't help but thinking that man looked somewhat cute, by the way he was getting easily confused by his replies.

"I do not seek power." Ayren sighed "Also because the stronger I get, the less likely I will find someone who will give me a proper fight and if I am lucky... peace." he shrugged annoyed under Loon's entertained expression towards his sincerity.

"Long time ago... I did seek just one thing." Ayren looked at his hand holding the beloved sword "Revenge."

"Did you..." Loon looked at him, who was focused on his own hand holding the sword as if he was getting swallowed by memories, dark ones that would fill his mind with pleasure and desire to draw his sword and slash anything on sight "Did you manage to get it?"

"Yes." Ayren's smile was chilling, almost sinister. He slowly turned to face Loon, his gaze sharp. "I got it," he said, his voice calm. "But I realized—just minutes after the ecstasy faded—that nothing changed in my life." He laughed, his red eyes glowing with a twisted light, and quickly covered them with his free hand. "Nothing... changed," he whispered before turning and walking away. "I just realized I would have been... separated from my family for a long... long time... if not for all eternity."

Loon bit his lip, following in silence. He could sense it—a deep grudge rooted in Ayren's heart, tied to unforgiven memories of the past. Loon's blue eyes saw more than they should, but he kept his head down, knowing the swordsman carried far more than the simple tale of a mercenary.

"Even if nothing changed, you at least closed the chapter of that nightmare." Loon talked and Ayren shook his head, feeling like he just told a joke.

"Is it though?" he asked to then sigh "We're about to get to the village."

"Oh! Already?" Loon asked "Are you going to leave me there?" he asked. Ayren stopped for a moment, and turned to him

"First, if the village chief can't tell me anything about you, I will wipe out his village." he explained with a calm tone under Loon's sigh.

"That's unfortunate."

"Their village was already at the edge of being fully destroyed, they have been having problems with their farms since years, and the little they manage to harvest isn't even enough not to make their families starve." Ayren laughed "Maybe, ending their village will push them to seek a new home, probably to Aresta's city since it's the closest in this land forgotten by the Gods." he said to then walk faster as he noticed the way out the forest nearby the village.

"How come they had these problems?" Loon asked and Ayren looked at the dragon with an annoyed stare.

"Why do you care?" he muttered, annoyed. "I don't know? The outer territories have been dealing with poisoned land for years. That's why food costs way more than in the Emperor's lands—it's hard to survive here. It's said fruits are filled with death mana and you must be careful when hunting animals as they might also be corrupted... That's why I told you it was better I'd take care of the food." he said, his frustration clear. But then, his expression shifted to confusion as a strange sound reached his ears...

Loon crossed his arms, deep in thought for a moment, then his pointy ears twitched. "Does this mean... I WILL DIE?"

Ayren raised an eyebrow, turning toward him. His eyes widened when he noticed Loon holding up a half-eaten apple from his oversized hanfu sleeve. The dragon had probably been hiding it from him for a while. Worse still, Loon was speaking with some of the apple still in his mouth.

"You... did you just eat that without even smelling it first? Answer me!" Ayren's voice rose with frustration as he approached the half-dragon, who clamped his mouth shut. "Don't you dare swallow!"

"But you told me to answer," Loon mumbled—after swallowing the bite.

Ayren groaned, feeling his patience slipping away. "You'd better make yourself throw up right now, because I am not taking responsibility for killing a dragon spirit in the middle of the forest!"

Loon laughed, flashing his bright smile. "It's fine, I'm alive!" A soft, warm glow seemed to emanate from him, like he was the picture of health. But Ayren was surrounded by a dark, menacing aura of pure frustration.

"I told you... to. Get. It. OUT." Ayren's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, suddenly gripping Loon's chin.

"What... hey, what are you doing?" Loon's eyes went wide in embarrassment as Ayren leaned in, their noses almost touching.

"I'm going to make you throw up. Now open your mouth, you idiot, or you'll die!" Ayren demanded, pressing his fingers against Loon's lips, trying to pry them open.

"Stop it!" Loon protested, looking even more flustered. "I'm not letting you stick your fingers in my mouth, get away!"

The two struggled, Ayren trying to force Loon's mouth open while Loon stubbornly resisted. They wrestled awkwardly, both holding onto each other, their movements so clumsy that anyone watching would think it was some sort of bizarre dance.

"That's not happening," Loon muttered, his voice muffled as Ayren pushed harder. As Loon tried to retreat, he lost his balance, stumbling backward and dragging Ayren down with him.

Loon squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact, but instead of hitting the ground, he felt Ayren's arms wrap around him, holding him up. When he opened his eyes, Ayren was hovering above him, staring down with that intense, fiery gaze.

"Are you seriously this clumsy?" Ayren scolded, his annoyance clear as he kept Loon from falling. Loon, thoroughly embarrassed, turned his head away from the swordsman's stare. "Are you okay?" he asked, confused from his gesture.

"Uh... yes, I'm fine..." Loon mumbled, slowly putting his hands up in front of his face, trying to hide.

Ayren gave a tired smile. "That's not going to help you." He grabbed Loon's hands and moved them aside. "Now throw up! We're literally at the village, and if you die now, I swear I'll wipe out the entire place!"

"I told you, I'm fine!" Loon snapped, slapping Ayren's hands away. "I'm not going to die from eating a stupid apple! You know that!" He glared at Ayren, then hesitated, his expression softening as he realized their position. "And... uh... could you get off me? This is... kind of embarrassing."

Before Ayren could respond, a loud thud echoed nearby. The two of them turned to see a woodman, frozen in place, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"Oh no... The... THE DEVIL IS BACK!" the man shrieked before bolting toward the village, wood clattering to the ground behind him.

Loon blinked in confusion, while Ayren let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"You've got quite the reputation," Loon remarked, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement. Ayren finally stood up, brushing himself off, but paused when Loon grinned at him, extending his hand. "Though, I'd say you're more of a knight than a devil."

Ayren's gaze darkened, his intense eyes locking onto Loon's as if daring him to say more. Loon tilted his head innocently, as if he hadn't said anything provocative at all.

"Get up on your own," Ayren muttered, pulling his hand back. But just as he did, his eyes caught something—Loon's dragon tail, blocking the hand, wrapping around his wrist.

"Thank you!" Loon said cheerfully, using his tail to push himself up before Ayren could react. The swordsman could only sigh, watching the half-dragon bounce back to his feet with ease.

"Just a few more moments," Ayren grumbled to himself, "and we'll part ways for good."

With that, he turned toward the village, already regretting every second of this absurd journey.