37 『Lysithea Ninya Veyron』 (1/2)

The simple peasant turned Adventurer had agreed to his demands, a life debt the her life and the lives of her friends. It was that or die together as one, where she would never realize her goal. There were choices to make, and she couldn't let her friends die. It was the comradery that Vertum once known as Jack remembered. The friends he held dear, how he would have remained with them and accepted death if that was even possible in a game.

Raising himself from his hind legs, the dragon took in a large breath, filling his lungs.

”You didn't have to do that...” Peter mumbled under his breath as he watched the Ogres all turn their heads towards the beast. He was using a skill to take on all the agro and they were taking the bait as the Dragon intended.

”We can run now that they're distracted!” The bowman stated as he took a few steps back, his bow still drawn and an arrow at the ready.

”That wouldn't be wise,” the man who seemed to be a druid of some sort replied.

Ninya nodded at the idea of not running away, it would be a bad idea. She had agreed to a life debt and her running away, could allow the Dragon to go back on his word. If not outright kill her friends and take her by force, if that was what he wanted.

The idea of them dying, she still didn't want to comprehend or witness.

Plus the fact that she didn't recognize his beed, made her curious as to what kind of dragon he was. She could only watch as his eyes wrestled with that of the simpleton Ogres.

That was when he let out a loud roar, she could see a circular force enveloping and passing through the monsters that they were to hunt down. They dropped their massive clubs and placed their hands on their heads, shrieking in pain.

Vertum didn't stop, he continued letting out a seemingly continuous attack until suddenly, a high pitch sound rang from his throat. Within seconds the heads of the ogres exploded. Chunks of ear, flesh and skull went everywhere... Decorating the entire area in greymatter and crimson.

The group of four adventurers just stared at the scene. He had taken out massive monsters that would've taken them several hundred times longer to kill. Of course he was a Dragon, he was so much stronger than them.

Their eyes flickered to the Dragon who was now looking at them.

Ninya gulped slightly as she tried thinking back to her diary which was in the pouch on the front of her belt across the cool grey tunic she wore. Squeezing past her friends, she stepped forward, looking over the corpse sewn battlefield by the large tree they had been near.

There was so many dead, though thankfully not on their side.

Beads of Sweat decorated the crown of her forehead as she turned her gaze to the Dragon once more. ”Th-thank you,” she still didn't know how she felt about the whole idea of owing a life debt to a dragon. If anything, her entire life would be to serving him, as his kind had an absurdly long life span. That was unless he was suddenly struck down by a hero or an army.

”My name is Vertum,” The Dragon shifted his large clawed feet through the grass as he waddled on over to her. His wings spread slightly before folding at his sides.

Ninya blinked up at him, staring at his serpentine neck and his larger central mass. For a Dragon he was small, at least compared to a Frost Dragon, yet he seemed so much more powerful.

She suddenly tensed seeing him lick his lips.

”Your name?” His head cocked to the side.

”N-ninya.”

Clicking his tongue on the back of his sharp rows of teeth, ”Your full name.”

Hearing him ask for her full name, she almost sputtered and looked back towards her friends. She had all of their trust right now, her eyes then shot back towards the Dragon, hesitant. ”Ninya... Veyron...”

”Another time then,” The dragon snickered at her indecision and fear of being rejected for her innocent betrayal of her friend's trust. He could tell that it was not her full name, just by the way her heart jumped several beats and her breathing became erratic. ”Collect your bounty,” his eyes shifted to the other members of her crew.

Ninya and the three men nodded and went on to take ears and parts of the monsters to claim money from the town with.

Once they revealed their little black bladed jeweled weapons, he raised a brow. He was curious of them, but didn't say anything. His eyes flickered behind him towards the direction he left the two girls from the village.

They were comfortably seated off in the distance, safe for the time being.

Returning his attention towards the four adventurers, he phased right back into his human form whilst they were occupied. ”Now, I'd like to hire you four as bodyguards...”

Blinking at the change of voice, Ninya looked up from a goblin she was cutting the ear off of and looked to the man who now stood there before them. ”Wha...” The dragon and turned into a man, a handsome one at that.

”Weren't you a Dragon a moment ago?” Peter looked up from one of the dead creatures, narrowing his gaze on the being who had just had his friend promise them their life under duress.