The next day arrives as I open my eyes to the sight of the sun just barely shining towards us.
And the campfire from last night has almost completely burned itself out; only a few glowing embers remain beneath the ash.
I let out a quiet yawn before sitting upright.
The soreness throughout my body immediately reminds me yesterday wasn’t some strange dream.
I really did manage to survive my first hunt at the end of the day, that is quite a feat in itself.
Across from me I can see Raven is already awake.
She sits against a fallen log while absentmindedly sharpening her sword with a whetstone.
Scrape...
Scrape...
The steady rhythm echoes throughout the quiet clearing.
"You actually slept," Raven says without looking up.
"I kind of needed it after everything that happened yesterday," I answer while stretching my arms above my head.
She gives a small nod.
"I would’ve been more concerned if you didn’t," Raven says while glancing towards me.
I slowly stand to my feet.
My muscles protest for only a moment before settling down again.
Compared to yesterday... It is unbelievable. I don’t know if this is normal for slayers or not.
After all the damage I took, it is a miracle I can be standing around like this without any problems. It is odd, but I kind of feel normal in a sense if anything.
Not completely though.
I clench my right hand into a fist before relaxing it again.
No sharp pain or stiffness. Only a faint reminder that the fight even happened.
The system thing wasn’t exaggerating about the dragon Essence, it truly helped my body recover. I’ll definitely make sure to remember that going forward.
~Recovery progressing normally.
I glance around instinctively.
It’ll definitely take some time to get used to the fact that only I can hear you speaking to me like this.
~It would be strange if your companion could hear me.
I can’t really argue with you on that one. None of it would really make much sense to her... Then again she might find some amusement from it that way.
Raven notices me staring off into space again.
"You thinking about the dragon?" she asks.
"Just a bit," I respond without hesitation.
"You’ll probably think about it for awhile. It is only normal since it was your first kill," Raven says with a carefree tone.
She finishes sharpening her sword before sliding it back into its sheath.
"I don’t have any regrets about it. I’m just surprised it didn’t end poorly," I reply calmly.
The killing itself was never the problem since I already had my mind set on doing it regardless of what happened to me... It was everything else.
None of that is normal for other slayers, I mean the absorbing part specifically.
I’m sure I’ll understand it better with time. That’s all I can really expect since this thing is new to me and it won’t give me complete answers.
I kneel beside my sword before checking its edge.
Several small chips line the blade from repeatedly striking dragon scales.
"So even this couldn’t come out of that fight unharmed," I mutter.
Raven walks over before crouching beside me.
"That’s normal. You’ll just need a stronger sword going forward," Raven says casually.
She runs one finger along the damaged edge.
"Dragon scales are harder than most metals but Slayers have a special blacksmith we go to," Raven continues to talk.
"A special blacksmith?" I question.
She smiles slightly.
"Yes! He is quite a nice fellow. I’ll have to introduce you to him after we stop back at your elders," Raven responds with a bit of excitement.
I slide it back into the sheath.
"I don’t mind, but I don’t have any money. That might be a problem," I say while scratching my chin.
"I’ll help sort out the sword. Just make sure to come with," Raven assures me.
I can’t really complain about her helping since it would make a difference to have a better sword. This was probably only going to last for a little bit before breaking.
"Anyway. We should get going," Raven says while cleaning up our previous tracks.
I look toward the sky.
The sun has only just begun climbing above the distant mountains.
"We’re leaving early?" I question.
"It is better so we have less issues," Raven answers.
She stretches before adjusting the small pack resting against her shoulder.
"Better how?" I question.
"I’d rather not linger around in dragon territory. It is unsafe, especially after they realize we killed one," Raven explains without a problem.
I definitely don’t want to fight another one in my current condition. I probably could use some more time to recover before that happens.
I grab my pack before following beside her.
The clearing slowly disappears behind us as we step back onto the old trail.
Morning dew clings to the grass surrounding the path as birds chirp overhead.
It almost feels impossible that such a peaceful forest became a battlefield only yesterday.
"I don’t think I’ve had the chance to ask. What made you become a slayer?" Raven asks with curiosity in her voice.
The question catches me off guard.
I stay quiet for a few seconds.
I don’t really have much of a reason to hide it from her.
"My village was destroyed," I say softly.
She waits for me to continue.
"Along with my family and even some close friends," I continue.
"Definitely a good reason to become a slayer. You can return the favor to those bloodthirsty monsters," Raven says while continuing forward.
She brushes a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she keeps walking ahead of me.
"Most of us didn’t wake up with the urge to go and fight dragons. It was very similar situations," Raven speaks with a bit of sadness in her voice.
"That does make a lot of sense. I’m sure someone just wanted to help in the war effort," I respond.
"Being a slayer isn’t a thing anybody can do so I can’t say that is the case," Raven says with a more serious tone.
I stare at her.
"People can’t just become slayers?" I question.
"Nope," She answers almost instantly.
We continue walking after that.
The forest gradually becomes more familiar and I recognize the broken carriage from yesterday.
The dead horses still lie where they fell.
But it doesn’t stop either of us.
Death has already made itself known to me plenty of times. I don’t think I would just stop anymore.
Raven sighs.
"Those hunters are a prime example of why I said people aren’t just able to become a slayer," Raven speaks with disappointment in her voice.
"It still isn’t a fate they deserved," I reply.
"Not at all, but we can’t save everyone. Don’t let it haunt you," Raven advises.
Eventually after a lot of walking we end up reaching the fields where the shack is. It is kind of a relief to be back in a safe place again.
I’ll definitely have to introduce Raven to everyone since I don’t know if she knows them already or not.
I also have a lot to catch them up on.
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