As the party carried on into the night, a low-key banquet that let the adventurers let out some of their stress. However, as the night got deeper, near when people would start heading off to bed, a servant burst through the large double doors that sealed the banquet hall. 

With the two dark, wooden double doors swinging in place after the servant burst into the hall, the people nearby all backed away, letting the servant run towards Chelsea. Arriving beside Chelsea, the servant whispered a stream of words into Chelsea’s ear. 

After Chelsea’s expression went from relaxed, to surprised, then back to relaxed, the servant backed off, to the side as Chelsea cleared her throat, addressing the crowd of adventurers. Waving at the servants to halt, then waiting for the adventurers to all face her, Chelsea, pulling her cape over herself, began, “Well, I’ve just been informed that we have a... welcome surprise, everyone. Therefore, everyone please hold off on going to be for the moment if you’d be so kind, I’ll be right back.” 

Finishing her short announcement, Chelsea strode off with the small crowd in the banquet hall all parting for her. 

Clang.

The double doors slamming shut behind her, small murmurs began to break out, with everyone discussing what this surprise could be in the depth of the night. 

“Is it people?” 

“It couldn’t be... we’re so far north...” 

“But she made it sound like people.” 

“That’s true... maybe it’s items that just got delivered?”

“That’d also work...” 

“I feel like we have all the items we need though, we’re all self-sufficient adventurers.” 

“That’s also true.” 

The murmurs ceased after a few moments, everyone having run out of anything to speculate about with the bare-bones information they had. Yet, with everyone wondering what said surprise was, no other conversations started, a tense silence falling onto the banquet hall, only the sounds of wind and snow against the windows filling the room. 

The sound of someone eating. 

A cough. 

A sneeze. 

BANG

The doors swinging open with as much vigor as before, Chelsea walked back in with a wide smile, “We have more guests! Here to help are the... Swords of Execution!” 

Making a light flourish, Chelsea laughed, before walking off back towards where she had been earlier, talking with Jayce, Sasha, and Dexter, “You all can just mingle, meet some of the people you’ll be working with I guess... You’ll have to be up bright and early tomorrow though! The monster wave’s peak is predicted to be around noon.” 

Following her words, a group of seven humanoids walked in, and although quiet, their presence was overwhelming with each member in battle gear along with their distinctive trait, their vertical reptilian eyes. 

A surprised gasp escaping several of the adventurers, conversation broke out once more, filling the banquet hall with excited chatter. Among this excited chatter were several adventurers walking up, catching up with the dragons that they hadn’t seen since the war against the Demon King. 

The Swords of Execution, a world famous party, was a party of the seven strongest dragons from the dragon village. Led by the chief, the strongest dragon, this party would only leave the village during times of great danger or if the issues of the dragon village spilled out of their secluded, isolated area. 

With the Swords of Execution being made up of 4 girls and 3 boys, led by the patriarch of the dragon clan, the party was one of the most powerful compositions of the party that had ever been assembled. 

One adventurer, Kaitlyn, having met and fought alongside the party in the past walked up, eliciting several smiles from dragons, all marveling at how much she had grown in the 7 years since they’d last seen her. 

“I truly forget how fast you humans grow,” the patriarch confessed, offering a hand out to Kaitlyn, “How have you been?” 

“I’ve been alright,” Kaitlyn shrugged, shaking the patriarch’s hand, “Really not that much has been going on. I see that you’ve risen to leadership though, how’s your mother doing? Still alive and kicking I hope...” 

Chuckling, the patriarch waved towards the other dragons, letting them disperse into the party and fill their stomachs after the long trip, “She’s still kicking very hard, I assure you. Pulverized a mountain over the course of a day after she heard Nero reappeared. She retired though, so I’ve become the leader of the dragons.” 

Congratulating the patriarch on his ascension to power, eliciting a proud laugh, Kaitlyn asked, “So you’re all here to hunt Nero? Seems a little bit of an overkill though...” 

“We want an overkill, in all honesty,” the patriarch shrugged, “That’s why I left the village and the rest of us all came back and moved as a single group once we received intel that Nero was going to be here.” 

Looking towards another dragon, a solemn girl who was eating while making light conversation with Chelsea, the patriarch added, “And beside me, who’s the strongest dragon currently, she’s the only one stronger than Nero, and both of us are only a hair stronger than Nero. So we have to kill him while we can.” 

Hearing a small sigh escape the patriarch’s mouth as he finished his comment, Kaitlyn whispered, “Still no luck?” 

“None!” whispered the patriarch back, “None at all! She doesn’t get any of my hints... we train together a lot, we eat together a lot, I’ve even mentioned how if I was going to date anyone it’d only be her...” 

“I admire her denseness...” Kaitlyn sighed, “As someone who’s not dense at all, I don’t understand how she missed all those hints...” 

“Yeah... I’ll ask Jayce later for some help...” 

“That’s probably smart, he’s quite the romance expert, him along with Dexter.” 

Patting Kaitlyn on the shoulder, the patriarch shrugged, “Well, it was nice talking, I’m going to get some food! I’m not too miffed anyway, I barely became the patriarch after all, I just barely won the competition. Only the third direct child to become a succeeding leader too! So I’m basking in that...” 

“Ahh, that is impressive, good job! I really recommend the food on the third table on the left side of the banquet hall. In my opinion, it’s the best table.” 

“Thanks!” 

Esiyx

Thanks for reading~!! Please leave a comment~!!

you know... first... disclaimer, i'm YOUNG i swear T~T am still in hs and stuff
however... i'm feel old enough that i can appreciate nature... like i can sit there and be like DAYUM those hills be lookin fire (not literally, tho i do live in california)
but yeah... can appreciate some hills... mountains... lakes etc
T~T am i becoming old...?

Thanks for reading thoughhhh~!!
take care all you reader peoples!! <3