Watching two teenagers berate the whimpering calamity amidst an ocean of chitinous shards and torn legs became too much for William.
He took unsteady steps, his breath a mess of ragged exhales. His voice cracked in disbelief. "W-What is happening?"
Adam turned, not forgetting to punch the centipede one last time. "Behave." Then, he smiled at William as if nothing strange had happened. "Oh, isn't it Archmage William? Why did you follow us?"
Why? To stop them from enraging the calamity, to sacrifice himself to protect his village? William glanced at the beast's sorry state, his answer almost choking him. Speak the truth when he only watched slack-jawed? Unthinkable.
"B-Because I was worried about you, of course!" He lied through gritted teeth. "You rushed here right after I told you about the beast. What madness got into your heads?"
