Chapter 24
Donald's smirk did not waver as he studied me. His arms were casually spread like he was waiting for me to scream in surprise at his revelation. But I refused to give him the satisfaction and calmly stared back with my arms crossed.
"So, you're from Earth?" I said like it was no big deal.
Donald's smirk faltered before he laughed. "You know, when a man introduces himself, it's rude not to do the same in return."
I sighed. "Sam."
His smile widened. "Good to meet you, Sam. And to answer your question—yes, I'm from Earth."
I recalled what Magister Lyra had said when the Order of the Veil was still trying to recruit me: I hadn't been the first person summoned to this world from Earth. Finn, also from the Order, was from Earth too. And now there was another person in front of me.
"Looks like you've had it worse than me," I said. "Ending up a bandit and all that. So, when did you arrive here?"
"Seven years ago," Donald said. "You?"
I tried to do the math but failed. "Eh, a month? A month and a half, maybe?"
Donald let out a sharp laugh. "No wonder you look so confused. Give it some time. You'll either die slaving away for the Order or end up like me."
"Encouraging," I muttered.
I glanced at Laine and Maxian, who were still tied up near the fire. Laine looked annoyed more than anything else, but Maxian was still trembling.
"So, now that we've established we're both from Earth, any chance you'll let us go?" I asked Donald.
He looked at me with an incredulous expression that said, 'You're joking, right?'
I sighed. "Look, I don't want trouble. Laine has money. We can pay the ransom and be on our way."
Laine, who had been glaring at the ropes around his wrists, suddenly snapped his head toward me. "What?"
A bandit standing near him ran a whetstone down his sword, the sound scraping through the air like a warning. Laine's outrage disappeared immediately. "Actually, that's a great idea, Sam. Brilliant, even."
Donald chuckled. "This isn't about money. Or at least the amount of money you would be carrying with you." His face darkened. "And even if I let you and your friend go, I'm not about to let the priest run free."
Maxian flinched at that. I frowned. "What do you have against him?"
For a second, his expression darkened —then, just like that, it was gone, replaced by that same easygoing grin. His sudden shift was more unsettling to me than if he had just stayed angry.
I kept my posture relaxed, but my instincts were screaming warnings at me. This man was unstable.
"You know," Donald said, "Back on Earth, I used to be a soldier. I served my time, defended my country, and did my job. Then, finally, I was on my way home." His voice softened, almost wistful. "I closed my eyes on that airplane, thinking about seeing my family again."
His gaze sharpened. "And when I woke up, I was here."
That was a familiar story.
"A woman stood over me. Said I was chosen. That it was my duty to fight for this world." Donald exhaled through his nose. "I had only just escaped war war. But she decided it was her right to bring me back into it, just in a different world than my own. I bet you met her too, didn't you?"
I nodded.
"Did you know she was a Goddess?" he asked with a smug smile.
"Yeah."
His face fell like I'd just ruined his fun.
Donald studied me for a moment. "I see. And yet, you don't seem as angry as I am. That the gods of this world treat us like pawns in their game and force us to fight for a world we have no stake in."
I shrugged. "Trust me, I'm pretty annoyed. Just not enough to become a bandit living in the woods."
Donald chuckled. "Fair enough."
"Speaking of which, how does becoming a bandit solve anything?" I didn't really care. I was just trying to buy us some time, hoping an opportunity to escape would present itself.
"I wasn't a bandit at first," Donald said. "I tried to do what the Goddess wanted. I fought. I saved people. She promised that if I helped this world, I'd get to go home." His smile turned bitter. "But it was a lie. There's no going back."
I stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"The Order of the Veil probably told you they'd send you back once you helped them, right?"
I didn't respond. They had told me something along those lines, too, but I hadn't been sure whether to believe it or not.
Donald's grin was sharp as a blade. "Lies. The gate was closed long ago. There is no way home."
That caught my attention. "Wait—what gate?"
"Long story," Donald said, shaking his head.
I wasn't sure if I believed him either. But if he was really telling the truth, it meant that there had been a way out of here in the past. So, there might still be a way of opening the gate again.
I pushed the thought aside. That was something to figure out later. Right now, I had to focus on getting out of this camp in one piece with Laine and Maxian.
Donald stretched his arms. "Anyway. After realizing that I was stuck here for good, I decided to live for myself. Did mercenary work for a while, moved wherever there was war. But right now? Things are peaceful." He shrugged. "So I became a bandit. And I sure as hell haven't forgotten who ruined my life.: The gods of this world, and their servants."
His gaze flicked toward Maxian, and the priest visibly shrank.
I sighed. "Maxian didn't do anything."
"Neither did we," Donald replied flatly.
I didn't respond to that. I could tell there was no point.
Donald turned away from Maxian, regaining his cheerful demeanor. "This isn't just about revenge. I'll kill the priest and make it look like the tribesmen from the Wailing Woods did it. They worship different gods from the Kingdom, after all."
I narrowed my eyes. "And?"
Donald grinned. "The Church won't be too happy about that. They'll end up pushing the Kingdom to wage a holy war against the tribesmen."
I stared at him. "That's your plan?"
Donald shrugged, spreading his arms. "Why not? War means an increased demand for mercenaries. My men get jobs, and we earn a fortune. Simple."
I took a slow breath. "That is the dumbest plan I've ever heard."
Donald burst out laughing. "That's fair. But dumb or not, it'll work."
I glanced around at the bandits. They were eyeing me carefully with their hands on their blades.
Donald clapped his hands together. "You should join me, Sam. We're both from Earth, and we both got screwed over by the gods. Why not make them pay?"
I crossed my arms. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"
Donald's grin widened. "I have a plan. But first, I need to know if you're in or not."
I hesitated, but not because I wasn't interested. It just sounded like it would be more of a hassle than dealing with the Void and its stupid cultists.
But saying no right away seemed like a bad idea, too.
Donald wasn't stable. If I refused outright, I had a feeling he wouldn't just let me walk away.
I looked up at him, still grinning like an idiot, waiting for me to agree to his insane scheme.
The smart thing to do was play along until I could figure out how to get out of this mess. But I was too exhausted to care anymore.
I sighed.
"Yeah, no, I have no intention of working with a lunatic."
For a moment, Donald's gaze lingered on me. Then his expression changed, his grin shifting into something borderline menacing, and his fingers twitched at his side in a threatening way.
"Then," he said, a voice suddenly low and cold, "there's nothing more to discuss."
He turned to his men. "Kill him."
Laine let out a groan. "Oh, come on, Sam. Couldn't you have just pretended to be interested?"
"Screw that," I muttered.
The mercenaries rushed at me with their weapons drawn. I sighed and shifted my stance, my mind already racing with the kinds of magic that would work best for this situation. Probably something defensive, maybe a barrier spell—
Then the roar came.
Loud. Deep. It tore through the trees, making the ground shake beneath us.
Everyone froze. Donald turned his head skyward, his anger melting away into a look of shock and surprise.
I looked up as well.
The dragon.
The same one I'd seen before. It flew low over the trees, wings kicking up, wind strong enough to make the branches sway.
"Oh, f-"
The dragon landed in the middle of the clearing with an earth-shaking thud, its talons digging deep into the dirt. It reared its head, and its golden eyes swept over me like an insect. It roared again, and I felt my ribcage shudder. Then, without warning, it inhaled and breathed out a massive storm of fire at me.
The flames engulfed me and the mercenaries that had been ready to attack.
I had just enough time to shut my eyes before the heat consumed me. I expected pain. Burning. Something.
Instead, all I felt was warmth. A gentle, almost comforting heat, like sitting too close to a fireplace in winter.
When I finally dared to open my eyes, smoke curled in the air around me. The ground was scorched black. The dozen mercenaries that had been around me were nothing but charred remains now.
I, however, was completely fine.
Well.
Mostly fine.
My clothes? Not so much.
I looked down and groaned. "You have got to be kidding me."
Every single thread of fabric on my body was gone. Burned to ash. I was standing there, completely naked, surrounded by the smoldering remains.
Laine and Maxian, still tied up but miraculously unscathed, stared at me. They had been out of the fire's range.
Maxian looked away quickly, his face turning red. Laine just slowly grinned.
Donald was standing a few feet away, still very much alive.
I ignored them all and looked up at the dragon. "What was that for?" I asked it angrily.
The dragon did not answer.
Instead, it turned its attention to Donald.
Donald, to his credit, didn't look afraid. If anything, he looked mildly annoyed. With a flick of his wrist, a spear appeared in his hand—summoned from thin air. He spun it once before hurling it at the dragon.
The spear struck the beast square in the chest.
And bounced off.
The dragon didn't even flinch. It let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like an exasperated sigh. Then, moving its long neck so quickly I could barely keep track, it snapped its jaws around some of the remaining mercenaries and swallowed them whole.
Before we could all process everything that was happening, the dragon flapped its enormous wings and soared away as suddenly as it had appeared.
A long silence followed.
I did a quick headcount. Me, Laine, Maxian, Donald, and three of his men were left standing. A fourth mercenary had wisely collapsed to the ground and was playing dead.
Then Donald started laughing.
"Hah!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "That was unexpected."
He really was mad. Is that what I would end up as after seven years on this planet?
Donald turned to me, still grinning. "Alright, Sam. You can go. And take your friends with you. I have fewer mouths to feed now, anyway. Besides, I probably won't be getting hired with just four men."
He strolled over to Laine and Maxian, pulled a dagger from his belt, and cut their bindings.
Laine scrambled to his feet immediately, brushing himself off. Maxian hesitated before shakily getting up.
Donald patted Maxian on the shoulder and shoved him toward me. "Go on. Have fun. Oh, and Sam?"
I met his gaze warily.
He tossed a small bundle of clothes at me. "Spare change of clothes. You look ridiculous."
I caught them, trying not to look too embarrassed. "Gee, thanks."
Donald gave me one last amused look before motioning for his remaining men to follow. They grabbed some supplies from what was left of their camp and disappeared into the woods. I watched them leave, quite sure that I hadn't seen the last of Donald.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Laine turned to me, outraged. "How dare you try to use my money?!"
I rubbed a hand over my face. "We just watched a dragon roast a bunch of people alive, and that's what you're mad about?"
"Yes!" Laine gestured wildly. "You had no right!"
Maxian stepped forward and clasped my hands in his. "Thank you once again for saving me, noble warrior."
"Not a noble warrior," I muttered.
"You had no right!" Laine repeated, arms still flailing.
I turned to him. "You're a thief. It's you who doesn't have a right to talk about people's money and their ownership of it."
Laine scowled. "That is completely different!"
"How?"
"It just is!"
I sighed. "You know what? Never mind. Just go fix the cart."
Laine opened his mouth to argue again.
"Or I'll leave you in these woods with the dragon still flying about."
Laine snapped his mouth shut.
Then, after a beat, he muttered, "You have an excellent point," and hurried off toward the cart.
Maxian bowed once again, then turned to follow Laine.
I sighed and looked around at the scattered belongings left behind. If I was lucky, maybe I could find something decent to wear instead of whatever ragged spare clothes Donald had thrown at me.