Chapter 292 (2/2)
The groups regarded each other in silence for several minutes, sizing each other up, all the while Simon’s tension mounting. Rather than him, the bear riding woman seemed to be considering David.
Simon looked between them, noticing how their eyes locked. But while the woman seemed extremely fierce, there was a mildness in David’s expression which was even more tireless.
Finally, the woman spoke. “You… are you pledged to the Skeleton King? I don’t want trouble, and your strength is obvious, but…”
David shook his head, and the woman relaxed visibly. She raised her hand, and it flashed green, a strange symbol in the air. “Ah, that’s much better then. I hail from Star Crossing, but I am pledged to the Wild Rider. Are you from the Refuge?”
David turned to Simon with a frown, and Simon whispered. “It’s the Westmost village, controlled by survival enthusiasts and martial arts nuts mostly. Combat focused hunters.”
His expression clearing, David turned back to the woman and nodded. She seemed to relax further, but turned to Simon with a grin.
“Does our friend never talk?”
“It’s not that he never does, but…” Simon turned to David, the other man looking down at him with his deep, emerald eyes. After he was unable to find the right thoughts, Simon just shrugged. “It’s almost as if he doesn’t need to? He’s communicative in other ways.”
David smiled. The woman laughed. “A man after my own heart. My name’s Thea, Thea Glasshammer. Where are you two headed?”
“Star Crossing.” Simon supplied. “I… I’ve decided to finally acquire a Class. And maybe… pledge to the Wild Hunter.”
Thea’s eyes brightened, and she gave a sidelong glance to David. “Now your friend clearly already has a Class… but will he be joining you in your pledge?”
David just smiled. That seemed to drain the rest of the fight out of Thea, and she hopped off her bear, a giant black thing, and walked over. Now that she was on the ground, Simon realized that she wasn’t nearly as stocky as he had initially thought; she simply looked that way, wrapped in thick fur armor.
His eyes were almost inadvertently drawn to her hips, which swung with a very noticeable sway. Simon gulped.
One of the two men who accompanied Thea, a man wearing a grey robe, chuckled. The other, a warrior type with a large ax, seemed completely uninterested in the conversation, though his eyes had not left David for a second since the groups had met.
“That’s Jast, and Teo,” Thea said, pointing to the mage and then to the warrior in turn. “And this big lug is Chrysanthemum.”
It took Simon several moments to realize that she meant the bear. The bear’s name was Chrysanthemum, and the creature was big enough to swallow 6 of him. With such little distance between them, Simon could barely stand his ground. If it attacked-
David shared none of Simon’s concerns, stepping forward and reaching out towards the bear. It sniffed him idly, then seemed to nod, deigning to allow him to touch her. Thea chuckled.
“Don’t be surprised, but bears were already pretty smart to begin with, but the Soul Bond Skill imbues your bonded animal with a portion of your stats, and that includes Intelligence. She can tell how you strong are, more easily than even I can.”
This made David frown, and he crouched on his haunches, lowering his eyes to Chrysanthemum’s. The two regarded each other. Simon made to say something, but Thea held up a hand stopping him, her smile slipping off her face.
For 20 seconds the two regarded each other.
Chrysanthemum growled. David rumbled, deep in his chest in response. All at once, the two exploded into motion, David rushing to the side, avoiding the swipe of Chrysanthemum’s paw. The two began to streak between the trees. Chrysanthemum clearly the faster of the two, but David much more agile, moving like a ghost among the trees.
“They are… playing…?” Jast asked, gaping. And Thea just nodded, her expression torn. Simon blinked several times.
David was… playing with a bear….?