Ulon blinked once. Then twice. His mouth opened, closed, and for a heartbeat, he looked like a man who had tripped over. He cleared his throat and laughed, a little too loudly.
"Well," he said, waving a hand as if swatting a fly, "life is full of surprises."
"Indeed," Klaus replied, calm as ever.
Noone spoke after.
Ulon stood abruptly. "I'll check the perimeter."
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Lost interest already?"
Ulon paused mid-step and glanced back. "No," he said, then added more carefully, "I just don't want to know too much."
Klaus frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing," Ulon said, forcing a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Everyone's got secrets."
Klaus tilted his head. "Quite unlike you, Ulon. You were eager enough to tell a boring story from the age of dust and gods, and now you give up so easily? That's not you."
Ulon scratched the back of his neck. "I just don't want unnecessary trouble."
The meaning clicked.
Klaus let out a short breath. "Don't tell me you think I'm a fugitive," he said slowly, "a slave who murdered his master and ran."
Ulon hesitated. "Isn't that the usual story?"
Klaus chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "It's the opposite, actually. I killed to save my master. No—" he corrected himself, "—he wasn't my master. He was my adopted father."
Ulon turned fully back now. "So you saved him and got freed?"
"No," Klaus said. "I tried to save him. In the end, he still died."
The fire hissed softly, as if reacting.
Klaus stared into the flames. "Funny, isn't it? Three of us fought to the death, yet the gods favored a slave over two powerful men."
Ulon shook his head. "That wasn't favor. That was punishment. The gods let you live so you could suffer longer."
Klaus smirked faintly. "Careful. You're a man of the gods. That sounds like badmouthing."
"I'm stating a fact," Ulon said. "So tell me—how did it feel, killing a man?"
Klaus's expression finally cracked.
The ease drained from his face, replaced by something sharp and dark. "Regret," he said quietly. "Not because I killed him… but because I didn't do it sooner. If I had, the man I looked up to might still be alive."
He lifted his gaze to Ulon, eyes steady and cold. "Maybe you're right. Maybe the gods kept me alive just to rot in it."
Ulon exhaled slowly. "The gods aren't good or evil," he said. "They're jesters with very dark humor."
"Indeed," Klaus murmured.
Ulon turned and walked away, boots crunching against sand and stone as he disappeared into the dim edge of the camp.
Klaus remained by the fire, staring up at the sky as dusk swallowed the last traces of light, the embers flickering like half-remembered sins.
Time slipped past him without notice.
Footsteps crunched against sand and stone.
"What's with that look?"
Klaus didn't turn his head. "Nothing," he said easily. "So? How's the treasure Delle was so excited about?"
Shane stopped beside the fire, arms crossed as he looked down at the embers. "A cluster of wyrm eggs," he replied. "Still warm. Collectors will pay well for them."
He paused, then added, calm and precise as always, "This mission was more than successful. The loot was good, the experience was valuable, and everyone leveled up."
"I almost died," Klaus said flatly.
Shane glanced at him. "Collateral damage."
Klaus snorted.
Shane turned toward the tents. "We rest. At first light, we leave."
"I'll rest here," Klaus said.
Shane looked around once, assessing the quiet camp, then nodded. "Suit yourself."
***
By the time the stars faded and dawn crept in pale and cold, the camp was already stirring.
Shalotte nearly tripped over a folded tent pole, caught himself at the last second. He quietly dragged the pole away instead.
"Is everything in order?" Shane asked.
Maddy immediately answered, hands on her hips. "No. Petra's helmet is missing, and she's been looking for it for hours."
"I am looking," Petra said from inside her cloak, voice soft but firm. Her hood was pulled low, hiding most of her face. "I just… can't find it."
Ulon leaned against the wagon and shrugged loudly. "Could be melted by the wyrm's flame. If I remember correctly, you tossed it aside while we're fighting the sand worm. Have you tried searching under the sand."
Maddy shot him a glare. "That's not helping."
Petra shook her head quickly. "It's fine, Maddy. Really. I'll ask a blacksmith to make a new one."
She then turned to Shane, straightening slightly despite her timid posture. "We can go now, boss."
Shane studied her for a moment, then nodded. "We'll replace it in the city."
He moved ahead, Cukuz resting lazily in his arms, leathery wings twitching. Above them, Zevy circled high in the sky, sharp eyes scanning the road ahead.
During their walk, the group couldn't help and started bantering as usual.
Ulon walked behind, hands clasped behind his head. "You know," he said loudly, "if I had known deserts were this boring without the sand wyrm, I would've brought a chair."
Maddy shot him a look. "You are walking. That's already too comfortable for you."
Ulon laughed. "See? This is why I don't complain often. No appreciation."
"You complain constantly," Maddy replied, adjusting her pack. "You just disguise it as humor."
"That hurts," Ulon said, pressing a hand to his chest. "Deeply."
Petra walked quietly near the center of the group, she spoke up, voice hesitant but clear. "Does anyone… smell burning?"
Everyone froze.
Klaus sniffed the air once. "That's just Ulon's feet."
"Hey!" Ulon protested. "These boots survived a fire beast's nest."
"That explains the smell," Klaus said smoothly.
Petra relaxed, though she hid her face deeper into her hood. "Oh. I thought it was something dangerous."
Shane, walking ahead, spoke without turning. "If it were dangerous, Zevy would've warned us already."
As if on cue, the hawk screeched once overhead and continued circling.
By late morning, they reached the edge of the road where the wagon had been left.
Shane extended his arm, and with a soft shimmer, Molly emerged from the ring. The massive white rhino let out a relieved snort and stamped her foot, kicking dust into the air.
Shane stroked her snout. "Ready for a ride, Molly."
She huffed again, clearly pleased.
Once she was harnessed to the wagon, the group set off, wheels creaking as the journey home began.
Kiel sat on the top of the wagon, quieter than usual. His grin was gone, replaced by a tight, thoughtful look.
Klaus noticed.
"Don't worry, kid," he said casually. "The Kultians might still be alive."
Kiel blinked. "Really?"
Klaus nodded. "Really."
The tension in Kiel's shoulders loosened at once. "Then… that's good."