Clouds

The minotaur is one thing, but can we really leave that man to fight the dragon alone? He may be a prodigy, but that monster is on another level entirely. The situation seems to still be deteriorating as well…!

Emerging from the strange black smoke that had suddenly swirled around her, Riveria surveyed the battlefield as her thoughts raced. She had been providing backline support for her comrades that had been fighting the black minotaur, but throughout the battle her mind had been occupied by what was transpiring above. Noticing the monsters seemed to have made their escape, the high elf looked to the sky, her eyes catching a flickering spot of black against the bright blue of midday.

Attempting to focus on the scene far above her, Riveria's eyes widened in shock. The dragon that had attacked Shay was sheathed in lightning, briefly hovering in place as it looked down on its foe. Under its gaze Shay was falling uncontrolled towards the ground, his left arm trailing crimson particles as it tumbled some distance away.

His arm!? I thought these monsters were being passive…!

Since this incident began, it had become increasingly clear that the monsters were controlling themselves, avoiding lethal blows on their opponents and staying away from civilians. Or so Riveria thought. As she watched Shay's detached arm tumble through the air above her, it became clear that the irregular dragon had other plans.

As it dove down towards the falling adventurer Riveria heard a yell from Finn, telling Bete to make an attempt to intercept the beast. With it becoming clear that the wolf was too slow, Loki familia watched in horror as the lightning sheathed dragon approached the still falling Shay, now only a few stories above the ground. As it was about to make contact, the same roar that had been heard earlier rang through the streets.

—oooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!

In that very instant the dragon spread its wings, braking in the air before slamming Shay into the ground. As the debris cleared around them, the dragon stared down at the fallen adventurer for a moment as if cementing its superiority, before roaring in his shocked face as he clutched his elbow. Blood pooling beneath the adventurer, the dragon flapped its wings once again, disappearing with incredible speed into the complicated backstreets of Daedalus.

Snapping into motion, Riveria ran to where Shay's arm had fallen and began chanting her healing magic. Picking up the severed limb and rushing to his position, she thrust the arm into place and activated her spell as some of the Loki familia healers ran to assist. As the outline of healing light slowly disappeared from within the jagged seam of Shay's torn limb, Riveria noticed that the adventurer was handling the pain quite well.

That's to be expected of an Einherjar, I suppose… Although he seems shocked. He could have easily died, after all. I'm still not quite sure why he's here in the first place, and acting alone, at that… More importantly, that dragon may be even stronger than the minotaur. Could we even handle such a monster in the city…?

~

—Clang!

The metallic impacts rang through the night air as Shay looked on in shock. Having just arrived on the scene, he was having difficulty reconciling the events unfolding in front of his eyes with those he had experienced minutes before.

—Shing!

As Bell's blade deflected the vicious swipe of a gray gargoyle's claws, Shay stood rooted to the spot.

Gros is… trying to kill that woman behind Bell? What the hell happened? He doesn't seem like he's under a curse…

As the fight developed in front of the crowd gathered in the northwestern part of Daedalus Street, Shay racked his brain for an explanation.

Why would the Xenos betray us? Right after we helped them evade Loki familia, too! They were nearly home free…!

Noticing that the minotaur and night fury were still missing, Shay watched the civilians cower at the unfolding struggle.

The dragon is still unaccounted for, too… Wait, is this Hermes's doing? That God did seem like he was up to something… but why would he…? Ah. Is this all for Bell…?

Quickly coming to the conclusion that Hermes was expending the lives of a few Xenos to clear Bell's name, Shay decided to step in. At that moment, the boy that always seemed to find himself at the center of chaos also made his decision. Throwing down his weapons as he stood in front of the woman he'd been protecting, Bell watched resolutely as the gargoyle charged him. Blanching at the boy's bravery, Shay recognized that it was no longer his place to interfere.

Racing at the unarmed adventurer, Gros opened his wings and banked at the last moment, the crowd that had been watching growing silent as they tried to process what exactly had just happened. As Shay worried for the boy's reputation amid the heavy silence, a mighty roar tore through the air.

—oooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!

Is that the minotaur!? Why now!? Hermes couldn't possibly use it for this!

Thinking that a creature as strong as that minotaur wasn't necessary for what Hermes was likely orchestrating, Shay focused his hearing and noticed a second sound. The familiar whistling creating a rising tightness in his abdomen, Shay raised his eyes to the night sky. As he took in the distant figure silhouetted by the moon, his eyes and ears worked together to provide to him the full presence of the dragon that had briefly taken his arm. Momentarily returning his gaze to the boy on the ground, Shay resolved himself.

Sorry, Bell. It seems like I've got my own fight to attend to.

A flickering white-blue energy erupting from his skin and illuminating the faces on the street below, Shay looked to the sky as the night fury approached, its accompanying frenzied chorus of whistling rising in pitch as it began to dive downwards, picking up speed. As Shay made the necessary judgement, he sighed.

I made Finn a promise that I'd handle the dragon myself as a sort of apology for acting against him this time… I didn't think I'd have to actually make good on it…

Hopping down to the street for more solid footing, Shay leaped into the air, a streak of lightning rising above the district as he felt the chill night air flow by.

"Cast behind the bones of the mother, Deucalion."

A ring of water forming around him, Shay skillfully coalesced small portions of it into ice beneath his feet, using them as footholds to continue upwards. With his new Durandal spear in hand he leapt, leaving puffs of snow and ice in his wake. Looking down to see the minotaur heading straight for Bell, Shay couldn't help but notice how beautiful the city was from this height. The night was somewhat cloudy, with the moon and the stars poking out occasionally from above their soft cover. The combination of this soft ceiling and the floor of sporadic city lights made the air Shay was leaping through feel like a dreamscape. Returning focus to his opponent as they closed the gap, Shay was reminded of its strange behavior.

Why does this one only focus on me…?

In the four or so days since their most recent fight, Shay had been told about the intelligent monsters known as the Xenos. Conspiring with Hestia familia at Chloe's behest, Shay had assisted them in their attempts to get the Xenos back into the Dungeon, spending most of his time training to adequately use his newest magic. Learning that the monsters could be reasoned with was quite a shock, but it raised an important question in regards to the night fury. Why was it so violent towards him? The dragon had apparently been a recent addition to the Xenos' ranks, and hadn't yet revealed anything that could explain its actions. The only things Shay knew were that it seemed to solely be interested in him, and that he couldn't shake the feeling of a deep connection with it.

Said beast was still above Shay, cruising through the air towards him as it looked down, its green eyes forming slits and its figure looking like a hole was cut out of the moonlit clouds above. Picking up more speed as it dove the dragon roared, signaling the start of the battle.

Alright… this time, I've got my full strength.

Having brought his armor, weapons, and potions, Shay was infinitely more prepared than he'd been in his first encounter with the dragon. Instantly reacting to the purple glow forming in its jaws, Shay formed an ice floe to his side, twisting and pushing himself away as the searing ball of plasma exploded the ice into steam on its way across the sky. Twisting once again as he used another ice floe to get back on course Shay dodged another blast, coming within around fifteen meders of his opponent. Dodging one last plasma projectile with his ice and correcting course again with the red flare of an Ignis Fatuus, Shay spun down towards the beast and prepared to extend his spear.

Feeling the smallest bit of resistance as he extended his arm, Shay realized that he had only managed to graze the beast. Droplets of dragon blood tracing the arc of Shay's weapon as he spun, the dragon looked behind itself, flapping its wings and gaining distance from its surprisingly capable opponent.

Proof of concept, at least…

After the failure that was their first battle, Shay had been aggressively working on his midair movement skills, getting to the point where he only needed around a quarter of the mind to move as he did before. That newfound efficiency combined with the holster of potions on Shay's hip gave the adventurer a surprisingly non-delusional level of confidence in this fight, something he'd been sorely lacking last time. In the first fight he'd needed to be abnormally aggressive due to the time constraint that was his mind capacity, but now Shay could fight in a much more measured fashion.

Using ice floes to come out of his spin as the night fury readied another run, Shay focused on Agility and rocketed towards the beast once again. With Shay closing the distance as fast as possible this time, the night fury's slitted eyes widened as it only had time to unleash a single projectile. Keeping Deucalion active constantly Shay created more ice floes for footing, leaping to the side before correcting with another jump as the dragon prepared to grapple instead. The beast descending from the heavens as the adventurer leaped upwards against the backdrop of Orario, Shay continued to manage his two spells simultaneously as he fought.

Sidestepping the monster's claws midair and ducking under a wing as he thrust his spear outward Shay felt a solid resistance this time, the weapon threatening to pull him into another spin just from hitting its mark. Their positions now reversed, Shay faced the ground as the dragon spread its wings, rapidly braking and letting out an angry roar as its opponent stopped his momentum as well.

As the monster looked up in fury at its opponent hanging in midair, purple light began to seep from its closed jaws. Preparing for another onslaught, Shay increased his allocation of Deucalion, waiting for the right moment to dodge. As the monster waited long enough for gravity to take him once again however, the adventurer recognized the change in plans.

It's not letting me dodge!

The beast pouring a massive amount of magic energy into its glowing jaws, Shay jumped backward to buy himself some time as he focused entirely on Defense. Forming a large, thick shield of ice as the purple energy reached its apex, Shay prepared for impact. The moment he felt a change in the dragon's magic his vision was already filled by a bright purple, his shield exploding in a cloud of steam and throwing him upwards before he even noticed he was tumbling through the air.

Feeling the residual heat of the incredible attack Shay thanked the Gods for his battle cloth as he lowered his arms from guarding his face. Seeing the furious visage of the dragon already entering melee range, Shay used an Ignis Fatuus from his left hand to launch himself horizontally, barely dodging the attempted grapple of his opponent as the beast whistled by once again. Downing the first mind potion of the night as he corrected his spin, Shay prepared for an extended battle.

~

I was wrong about this, too…

As he watched the boy violently and desperately cross blades with the hulking minotaur, Finn realized his mistake.

This monster isn't just some irregular.

As the minotaur let out another piercing roar, Finn recognized the look of a fulfilled warrior. Initially, he hadn't understood why the monsters Bell had been fighting for seemingly turned on him, but the scene before him showed no such contradiction. The boy was responding to a wish, just as he had been the entire time. The wish to survive, to see the sun, and now, to face him in mortal combat. This was an irregular that only the boy could have summoned.

"Ottarl…"

In the middle of this scene pulled straight from the pages of an Oratoria, Finn began to speak. The hulking boulder of a man that had stopped Loki familia from interfering in the boy's battle gave a monotone response as he watched the struggle alongside them.

"What?"

"You know, I'd set out to match Phiana. For the glory that had brought my race hope."

Phiana was a prum hero from the Ancient times, famous for defeating many monsters and saving countless people. She had been a symbol of the prums' glory who was worshipped as a deity until the Age of the Gods, in which she wasn't among the deities who descended and faith in her died out.

"I know…that's the only reason you're fighting."

The loss of Phiana had deeply wounded the prum race, who no longer had a hero or a symbol of their pride and glory to look up to. Finn's goal in his career had been to try and change that.

"Yeah. But I'm going to stop that now"

"...!"

The prum's declaration catching the boaz off guard amid the clangs of fierce battle, he continued resolutely.

"That alone won't be good enough. I have to surpass her."

Finn had tried to become the hope of the prums at any cost, even asking for the title 'Braver' explicitly in a deal with Loki. In short, he'd hoped to become a sort of artificial hero for the sake of his race. As the captain of Loki's main rival familia, Ottarl had known this as well. That was why, as he looked Finn in the eyes, he was shocked. Eyes widened in rare but genuine surprise, Ottarl turned his gaze to the developing prum hero.

"Watching that boy…even has an effect on me."

"..."

In truth, something had stirred in Ottarl as well. No adventurer worth their salt could watch the scene unfolding before them without feeling something profound. The fight pausing for a moment as the combatants sized each other up, Finn was reminded of his first time watching the boy fight.

"...heh, 'is following in the footsteps of Bell Cranell too much for you to handle?' Hah!"

Laughing at the irony of a speech he'd used to rile up his comrades, the small prum giggled like a child, with Ottarl and some Loki familia members looking on curiously. Everyone looking to the sky as the scene was suddenly colored by a bright purple flash, Finn narrowed his eyes with a dauntless smile.

"Well, I'll have to take this seriously, then. It seems there's some competition, in this race of heroes."

~

Another clash of blue and purple briefly illuminating the clouds above them, the airborne battle between Shay and the night fury continued. For the past few minutes they had been in a sort of stalemate, with Shay able to dodge nearly everything his opponent tried to throw at him and the dragon able to keep its distance due to its superior maneuverability.

The beast roared as it dove below Shay, disappearing into the angle just below the horizon, where the dark landscape behind it made it more difficult to keep track of the rapidly maneuvering monster. Shooting off a few more plasma shots, the beast tested Shay's reactions, blocking his view with purple fire and moving to another angle in an attempt to tease out vulnerabilities.

Using his magic sensing ability more than his eyes to respond to the tactic, Shay inverted and leapt downward in an attempt to change their relative angle and force better visibility. Catching the black silhouette against the clouds above him, Shay readied two shuriken, enchanting one with his lightning.

I can't paralyze it, but I can at least draw its focus…

Throwing them in the usual arc of his shuriken redirect technique, Shay watched as the flashing shuriken sailed by its target. The dragon rushing down at him as the shuriken neared their collision point, Shay leaped to engage the dragon in melee once more.

—ting!

The lightning flaring as it soared in from behind the dragon, Shay's eyes widened as the jet black monster flapped its wings, dodging to the side as the shuriken flew harmlessly past it.

What!? This thing…!

Making eye contact with the beast as his own shuriken flew towards him, Shay could've sworn he saw the dragon's maw curl up in a smirk, as if to say it had seen this trick before. Still processing this surprise Shay caught the lightning coated shuriken in his off hand, throwing it once more as the dragon entered spear range.

With Shay having absorbed the enchantment off the shuriken, it bounced weakly off the dragon's head as Shay thrust his spear forward to intercept the beast. Feeling resistance as his weapon made a gash in the dragon's underbelly, Shay shifted to Defense just in time for his opponent's claws to sink into his skin. The beast roaring as the searing sensation set in on Shay's shoulders, the scene developed into something eerily reminiscent of their first fight.

Flapping its wings, the dragon forcefully pulled Shay high into the air as he struggled, stabbing a kunai into the dragon's leg above him to open up a wound. Before long the two had entered the misty world of the clouds, and unable to see much of anything Shay stuck his hand into the wound as he prepared an Ignis Fatuus. Having fought him for a while, the dragon recognized the feeling of an incoming magic explosion and threw Shay upward with all its might. The red flare illuminating the entire misty space as he was released, Shay tumbled through the mist, unable to tell which way was up. Breaching the clouds before correcting his rotation, Shay was momentarily enchanted by the night sky.

Beautiful….

The solitary stars, frozen in the sky with nothing to obscure them. The moon, high above and casting everything in a cold yet gentle light. The soft, cotton-like carpet illuminated by the silver moon, stretching all the way to the horizon like a welcoming, heavenly bedspread. The scene had a beauty that struck Shay as truly divine, similar in a way to the lake in the forest where he'd first bonded with his Spirit. Even as his opponent, that jet black dragon with Shay's own blood on its claws, pierced the clouds it too added to the beauty of the scene, trailing silvery cotton on its way to meet him.

I… really am enjoying this, aren't I?

Despite being in a dangerous struggle, Shay couldn't help but think there was a playfulness about the experience. He was floating in a dreamscape, after all. In his practice, he'd never felt the need to go this high above the ground, and despite being in the middle of a fight he was still able to regret that decision. As the figure of the night fury grew larger in his vision, a smile began to emerge on Shay's features.

Dodging several claw swipes while climbing still higher, Shay marveled at the experience as the landscape continued to turn around him, floating in a world where the terms 'up' and 'down' were nearly meaningless. From afar and in the light of the moon, Shay wouldn't be surprised if it looked like the two were dancing, the dragon banking, ducking, diving to build up speed as Shay leaped in all directions to respond.

The moonlight refracting through the circle of water around him and painting caustics on his battle cloth, Shay used Deucalion to create a set of ice-kunai, holding four in each hand with his spear on his back. Using these to return fire as the dragon sent more plasma, each time illuminating the clouds beneath them a light purple, Shay's mind wandered back to a conversation he'd had after awakening his Spirit.

'So you just need to be a Hero then, right?'

'...?'

'It'll be easy, meow! And I'll help you… I've got a lot to make up for, mew know? I'll give you all the suppawt I can. I mean, it's kind of my job, as your woman, right?

Ever since Shay had told Chloe about his link with the Spirits, she had taken it upon herself to do everything she could to support him. She felt guilty about her past as an assassin, and as he outpaced her in strength she had changed her role, supporting him however else she could. Whenever Shay was unsure of what to do he'd turn to her, and she'd help while reminding him of his duty.

After the incident four days ago Shay had been unsure of what side to take, and Chloe had been the one to inquire with Hestia familia and explain the situation to him. She pleaded with him to help them, reminding Shay of his duty to become the Hero she herself, his father, and his Spirit had all wanted. And that Hero is someone that would certainly save the Xenos.

With that mission in mind and against the dreamlike backdrop of the stars, Shay began chanting his newest magic.

"Unexplored boundary, the forbidden wall. On this day, I disobey the laws of heaven and earth alike."

His magic energy slowly building, Shay was now managing three spells at once. Holding his enchantment on Agility, he used Deucalion to continue dodging and to return fire as he chanted his third magic. The night fury noticing the building energy, it increased the volume and ferocity of its attacks. Flashes of purple lighting up the sky as Shay's lightning traced a jagged path through the air above the clouds, he put on a display of concurrent chanting that would've shocked even the esteemed high elf queen.

"Faithful custodian, protect this mind as it confronts the primordial chaos. Loving mother, embrace this body as it crosses into the unknown. Graceful father, entrust this soul with your will as it begins to transcend the limits of this physical realm."

Narrowly avoiding a teardrop of plasma as it singed his battle clothes Shay spun out of the way, grabbing a parrying kunai out of his holster and directing the building magic energy into it. A glowing white-blue eye symbol appearing on the weapon's handle, Shay was reminded of everyone relying on him.

"Your envoy beseeches thee, arbiter of destiny. Respond to the one that seeks your knowledge and allow me a seat on your chariot. Cross the sky, faster than anything else, reaching towards that blinding light."

Intimidated by the building of magic energy, the night fury roared, rushing towards Shay from above at an incredible speed. Preparing for the attack, he jumped upwards off an ice floe as the dragon adjusted its aim, now too close and too fast for him to dodge with his usual moves.

If I use Ignis Fatuus, it'll disrupt the spell!

As the dragon came within ten meders Shay thrust out his arm, directing a deluge of water towards the beast before solidifying it into ice as the dragon's eyes widened. For a split second Shay shifted to Defense, softening the outer layers of ice as the encased beast crashed into him. Thrown across the sky and still tumbling as the ice surrounding his opponent shattered loudly, Shay continued casting.

"Even if thou art scorched, let the malice born of thine tragedy be tempered by the blaze into the paragon's will. Forthrightly gaze into the abyss, for your progeny wishes to peer into the realm of possibility."

As the magic energy reached a crescendo the dragon spread its wings, soaring upwards in order to prepare another attack run. Watching the beast look back at him in front of the moon, Shay threw his kunai on course to intercept it. Veering slightly in the same manner it learned to avoid Shay's previous throws, the dragon watched the subtly glowing kunai approach.

"Oh, I do not look back, Flying raijin, Blink!"

Activating his Sylph skill as his vision was engulfed in lightning, Shay readied his spear for its first real strike using this technique. Feeling a sudden rush of cold wind, his vision cleared as he combined his enchantment with his skill to enhance his perception to the utmost, seeing the wide eyes of his opponent now within range and illuminated by the flash of his magic.

Extending his spear downwards towards the beast Shay shifted to Strength and felt massive resistance as he slashed clean through the base of its left wing, the force of the impact sending him tumbling through the air at a speed neither of the combatants had achieved before. Spinning wildly as the rushing air slowed him down, Shay heard the distant roaring of the night fury, no doubt confused at its new injury as it began to tumble towards the ground.

~

No matter how much I practice, that part's always terrifying…!

Correcting his momentum once more as he fell through the clouds with a wild smile on his face, Shay downed a mind potion as he used Deucalion to catch back up to his now falling opponent. Leaving a cotton trail as he emerged once again from the clouds, he spotted the night fury tumbling through the air, its right wing insufficient on its own for stable flight.

We're still somehow above the city, huh. Let's see… Looks like we're over the Pleasure Quarter. That's some great luck.

The Pleasure Quarter had been unoccupied ever since the Haruhime incident, so Shay didn't have to worry about his opponent landing on an innocent bystander. Spotting the severed wing spiraling through the air, Shay realized he'd accidentally gotten perfect payback for the first fight. Leaping laterally trailing puffs of shattered ice, Shay caught up to the wing and grabbed it in his off hand, looking down at the falling dragon it belonged to.

The beast trailed large amounts of blood as it fell, with Shay covering his face as he followed through the crimson mist. The dragon hit the ground on its back, crashing through an already ruined brothel in a cloud of debris as Shay landed on his feet nearby.

Rushing forwards into the smoke after finally arriving back on solid ground, Shay used his downforce technique to get in front of the dragon as it got up, the debris clearing as he held his spear out over the beast's head, its slitted eyes narrowed at him defiantly.

Shay had won. Still leaking blood down the side of its body, the Night Fury took a few moments to back down, eventually lowering its head in defeat under the point of Shay's spear. Sighing at the end of the battle, Shay lowered his weapon as he released his magic. Reminded of what Bell and everyone were trying to achieve, Shay gave his next gambit an honest try.

"So… Do you understand language?"

The beast's eyes widening as it raised its head, twilight began to illuminate the sky above them. The nightlong incident was now coming to a close. Noticing the slitted pupils transforming into softened rectangles, Shay recognized in them the distinct glimmer of intelligence. Resting his spear on some nearby rubble, Shay laid the beast's detached wing on the ground between them as he spoke.

"That was probably the most enjoyable fight I've had. Thank you for that."

The beast was still hesitant, but it seemed to lower its guard somewhat as Shay backed away. Casting a soft shadow westward Shay sat on top of the nearby rubble with his spear, continuing to speak with the dragon as if it were a normal thing to do.

"I would worry about the blood loss, but you're too tough for that, right?"

As the monster looked between the severed wing and its nonchalant severer, the stone beneath it was becoming dyed a deep red, rivers of blood still streaming from its open wound. This would normally be catastrophic, obviously, but the beast was probably around Level Eight. Even Level Three adventurers in the past had survived for minutes cut entirely in half, so Shay had no worries about the monster's ability to remain conscious as he spoke.

"You know, there's this story I'm quite fond of. One from the Ancient times, written by a poet by the name of Hiccup."

Feeling a strange sort of nostalgia, Shay had a small realization.

"The Hero manages to save a dragon from getting eaten by its own kind. The dragon goes on to befriend the Hero, assisting him in his travels, and helping him save his kingdom from the other monsters. It really is one of my favorites."

The Night Fury's shadow stretching across the rubble, it relaxed its posture, sitting up like a massive, eight meder long house pet. Looking into the beast's eyes as he continued, Shay was certain it could understand his meaning.

"I used to think it was just a fairytale, its meaning purely metaphorical. But that story… it might've been the first sighting of an intelligent monster, don't you think? The first sighting of the Xenos."

The sun peeking out over Orario's outer wall, the Night Fury straight out of the ancient tale made a noise somewhere between a growl and a purr as Shay looked on contemplatively. The beast opening its mouth, it looked as if the dragon's teeth had retracted.

"I…know. y..ou."

…! The Xenos really can speak…!

Not having met directly with the Xenos before this, Shay was floored by the large dragon's ability to form words, broken as they might've been.

"Is that why you attacked me?"

In their first encounter, the dragon hadn't even bothered looking at anyone else. The jet black monster took a moment before responding, seemingly putting its thoughts into place.

"I have dr..eams. Pain. Vio..lence. Hun..ting. Your light…puni..shes."

…? It's seen my magic? Wait…!

"With… As..teri..us. I rem..embered…your light."

When he was first blindsided by the beast, Shay had been using his enchantment. That was why he'd been singled out. As for why the monster knew it in the first place, Shay only had a theory. Recognizing the need to bury the hatchet, he continued.

"Well…we've both had a pretty convincing victory or two by now. I'm sure you've been told we're on the same side, so what do you say we call it even?"

"I…can't let you st..op Aster..ius. They are…like us."

Asterius is the minotaur, then? He has some connection to Bell?

"Will he kill the white haired boy?"

"...I…do not know. He is a warr..ior. He wants a…prop..er battle."

"I see."

Bell doesn't stand a chance as he is now. If he wants a good fight, Asterius will probably allow him to get stronger.

"I won't interfere."

The rubble casting sharp shadows as the monster and adventurer traded words, Shay's voice took on a friendlier tone.

"By the way, what do the other Xenos call you?"

Seemingly taken aback by the respectful gesture, the dragon bowed its head as it responded.

"I..am called…Alpheus."

The battered combatants squinting in the crisp morning sunlight, Shay smiled as he gave his response.

"Alpheus, huh? That's good, but I think it's a little formal. I'll just go with Toothless."