Owen stirred from unconsciousness, lured awake by a mesmerizing scent. His eyes fluttered open to see Athena's warm smile above him. His head rested on something soft.
The realization hit him.
He was lying on her lap.
"Good to see you're not dead yet," Athena said with a teasing smile.
Owen groaned and tried to sit up, only to wince as pain surged through his body. Every muscle ached from the brutal encounter with the serpent.
"Don't force yourself," Athena said, gently helping him upright.
The sky above was dark—night had fallen. He had been out for a while.
"Seems like the hero's finally woken up," came Nate's voice.
Owen's gaze shifted to find Nate lounging against a tree, his beasts resting calmly around him. The sight made his instincts flare. Something about it felt wrong. His eyes scanned for his sword—only to find it in Nate's hand.
"What are those beasts doing here?" Owen demanded, fists clenched. "And why are you so comfortable around them?"
"Calm down, Owen," Athena said quickly. "I'll explain everything."
Before another word could be exchanged, a massive ogre wearing a chef's outfit approached, carrying two wooden bowls of steaming food.
"First, eat," Nate said casually, tossing the sword back to Owen, who caught it without looking away from the strange ogre.
Athena took her bowl without hesitation and dug in. "Whoa! This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "Hard to believe an ogre made this!"
Owen eyed the bowl suspiciously, but hunger won out. He took a cautious bite—and his eyes widened.
The flavors were overwhelming. Rich, savory, perfectly cooked—the meat melted on his tongue. Before he knew it, he was devouring the entire meal, bite after bite.
This food was incredible.
---
Nate observed the two as they tore through their meals. The Chef Ogre had outdone himself.
While they ate, Nate and his beasts approached the remaining slab of serpent meat. Unlike the others, they ate it raw—beasts to the core.
Between bites, Athena looked up. "So, Nate, which capital are you from?"
He paused. "I'm not from any capital."
She tilted her head, intrigued. "Well, today's your lucky day," she said with a grin.
He raised an eyebrow. "Lucky?"
"Because you're going to be one of our adventurer teammates!"
Nate blinked. "Wait, what?"
"You, Owen, and I—we're officially forming a team!" she announced proudly.
Owen, mid-bite, choked on his food. "Since when?" he coughed.
"Since today!" Athena answered, beaming.
Nate sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah… I'm gonna have to pass. I work better alone."
Athena smirked and pointed toward his beasts. "Oh really? You call yourself alone, but…"
He followed her gaze. His beasts were all staring at him. Hard.
Their expressions said it all: Choose your words carefully.
Nate groaned, defeated. "Fine. You win. I'll join you."
Athena jumped in place, clearly excited. "Great! We're officially a team! Now all that's left is to register at a guild!"
Owen groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Do I even have a say in this?"
"Nope!" Athena replied cheerfully.
Owen narrowed his eyes. "And who exactly is going to convince your parents to let you join a guild?"
"Easy. You will."
Owen froze. "I—what? No way. Absolutely not."
Athena waved him off. "Details, details. We'll handle it later. For now, let's sleep!"
Owen threw his hands up in frustration. "Wait, nothing is settled yet—"
Nate snapped his fingers, extinguishing the magical light above their camp. Darkness immediately settled in.
Owen sighed in defeat as he lay down. "You guys are insane…"
Nate leaned back against a tree, a smirk playing at his lips. The poor guy had no idea what he'd just signed up for.