Chapter 14: Return To Camelot
The ride back to Camelot was long, quiet, and dusty. At least, until Arlo opened his mouth.
"So," he said, nudging his horse closer to Noah's, "how does it feel to tear out a demon's heart and get a standing ovation from a bunch of knights who used to think you were just some grumpy foreigner?"
Noah adjusted his grip on the reins. "It feels like I need a shower, twelve hours of sleep, and maybe a therapist."
He paused, thinking about his new emotions and the fact that he had just killed someone but felt nothing, because why would a dragon feel anything when crushing an ant?
"Definitely a therapist."
Arlo whistled. "Not bad. I'd have gone with 'glorious' or 'I am becoming death, destroyer of demons,' but sure, your version works."
Noah shot him a look. Arlo just grinned wider.
The king and the rest of the knights rode ahead in dignified silence, but Arlo had never been one for decorum. He trotted his horse alongside Noah's, his silver hair fluttering in the breeze, still somehow clean despite everything.
As they neared Camelot, the horizon revealed itself.
Noah slowed his horse slightly, narrowing his eyes.
The city-state wasn't what he remembered. Mostly because he hadn't remembered it at all.