Amelia huffed as she tucked the orb away, deciding she didn't have the energy to decipher Spark's cryptic remarks right now.
Just as she was about to ask him different question, the sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention.
She turned sharply, spotting a group of barbarians cautiously making their way back toward them.
These were the same warriors who had fled during the battle, and now they were returning, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe.
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It was clear they hadn't gone far and had been watching from a safe distance.
Amelia sighed heavily, shaking her head at their audacity.
"If you're here to ask for a share of the loot, I'll turn you into ice sculptures," she warned, her tone cold and direct.
She knew all too well the greedy nature of these barbarians, always eager to scavenge for treasure after others did the hard work.
The oldest-looking barbarian quickly stepped forward, his hands raised in a calming gesture.
"No, no, we don't want anything," he stammered. "We're here to thank you for killing the giant and avenging our fallen brothers."
Amelia's eyes narrowed as she regarded them with suspicion.
"Justice, you say?" she replied, her voice laced with doubt. "Or are you just here to make sure the danger has passed before you scavenge what's left?"
The barbarian leader shook his head vigorously. "We swear it! We have no interest in the spoils. That giant... it has terrorized our people, taken our lives, and destroyed our lands. We only wish to show our gratitude."
Amelia's gaze softened slightly, though she kept her guard up.
"Where did this giant come from?" she asked.
The leader hesitated momentarily, exchanging nervous glances with the other barbarians before speaking.
"It was released by someone—a mysterious person," he explained, his voice tinged with fear. "He appeared out of nowhere, and unleashed the giant upon us without warning."
Amelia's eyes narrowed with interest. "This mysterious person—do you know anything about him?"
The leader shook his head, his expression pained. "We don't know who he was or where he came from. All we know is that he brought death and destruction with him."
One of the other barbarians, a younger man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward.
"Our tribe wasn't the first to be attacked," he added, his voice shaky. "We heard the news from other tribes—how they too were destroyed by this giant. Tribe after tribe fell, and we realized it would only be a matter of time before it came for us."
"We tried to prepare," the leader continued, his tone heavy with regret. "We knew we couldn't defeat it in a direct fight, so we set up a trap in this crater.
We waited, hoping to catch it off guard. But it was too strong—our traps barely slowed it down. Most of our warriors were killed in the first few minutes, and those of us who survived were left helpless, scattered."
Before Amelia could ask more questions, her expression shifted as she sensed something strange.
Her brows furrowed as she felt a sudden and intense energy approaching from the horizon.
She turned her gaze away from the barbarians, focusing on the source of the disturbance.
As she scanned the area above the crater, a distant sound reached her ears—an excited cry echoing across the landscape.
Woohoo!
The sound grew louder, more distinct, as a small dot in the sky rapidly expanded, descending at an alarming speed.
Crack!
"Wait! Wait!" he tried to reason, but it was too late. Bronn wrapped his massive arms around Spark in a crushing bear hug, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
"I knew it was you!" Bronn laughed heartily. "Sparky!"
Spark, now dangling in the air, struggled to breathe as Bronn's grip tightened.
"Put me down!" he coughed, "And stop calling me Sparky!"
Amelia, standing off to the side, finally let out the laugh she'd been holding back, watching the entire scene with amusement.
"Sparky?" she echoed with a smirk, crossing her arms. "Is that your real name?"
Spark glared at her, his pride clearly wounded.
"Don't encourage him!" he managed to say, though it came out as more of a gasp with Bronn's arms still wrapped tightly around him.
Amelia, now with her arms crossed and a smirk playing on her lips, observed the duo with growing curiosity.
"So, you two know each other?" she asked, lightly teasing.
"Know each other?" Bronn bellowed, his eyes twinkling. "Sparky is our boss!"
"Boss... like a chief?" Amelia echoed, her confusion deepening as she tried to imagine a tall, bulky version of Spark commanding a group of barbarians. The mental image was so absurd that she had to stifle another laugh.
Spark, noticing the shift in her expression, quickly intervened.
"Hey, whatever you're imagining, it's not true," he said, his voice tinged with exasperation.
Bronn finally set Spark down, clapping him hard on the back.
"It's been too long!" Bronn boomed, his excitement evident. "Where have you been hiding, you slippery fox?"
"Hiding? No, of course not," Spark muttered, adjusting his robe and stepping back as far as possible. He shot Amelia a look of pure exasperation as if to ask why she had revealed him. "I've just been... busy."
Bronn grinned widely, clearly not buying it. "Busy, huh? Well, no more excuses! I'm bringing you back to the academy."
Spark's shoulders slumped in exaggerated dejection. His eyes flicked toward Amelia, who was still watching the interaction with thinly veiled amusement.
"Actually, I can't go back just right now," Spark said, his tone suddenly heavy with feigned regret. And gestured vaguely in Amelia's direction. "I've got to go somewhere with her."
Bronn's eyes followed Spark's hand and landed on Amelia, his expression shifting from excitement to curiosity.
He squinted at her for a moment before realization seemed to dawn on him.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, his voice booming. "Is she your mate?"
Amelia blinked, completely bewildered by the question.
"Mate?" she repeated, her gaze shifting to Spark, clearly confused.
Spark's eyes gleamed as leaned in closer to her, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He whispered in her ear, "It's the way they refer to a friend."
Amelia's eyes narrowed in doubt. Although she hadn't known Spark long, she had quickly picked up on the look that meant he was up to something.
"Is that true?" she asked, her tone wary.
"Absolutely," Spark whispered back, his voice full of sincerity.
Slightly hesitant, Amelia turned back to Bronn, her expression smoothing into one of calm acceptance.
"Yes," she said with a nod, "I am his mate."