Side Quest: Searching For My Favourite NPC!

Chapter 6 - Side Quest (Almost) Complete

— Miko, listen to me. You don't need...

— Is Miss Daena right? — Miko took a few steps back. — She called you Unpronounceable...

— You didn't know, luziwurm?! This idiot is the devil that is cursing this land!

— Daena! Enough!

Darka stood up suddenly, massaging his temple and taking a deep breath. At first he didn't care much about being recognized by Miko, but after traveling together for a few days he felt a certain sense of companionship and protection, which led him to keep who he was a secret. Now he was angry with himself for forgetting that Daena could ruin this.

Miko took advantage of Darka's apparent distraction and ran towards the two, putting themself between them.

— You won't hurt her, Darka!

He watched the scene, confused. Daena also looked surprised.

— Miko, do I look like I'm going to hurt her?

— No but...

— It's not even me who is armed here!

— But she's armed to defend herself!

Daena stood up, still staggering, without stopping pointing the dagger at Darka.

— You really are an insensitive bastard! You manipulated an innocent person to be your minion!

— Okay, look, that's enough. You two. I don't care if you believe me or not. I came here to help, to do something cool, here you come making all this drama and I even told you my real name! You know what? I don't have time for that anymore.

Darka picked up his bag, dodged the two to pick up his cloak from the ground and headed towards the trail.

"I'm so stupid, I thought it woould be a good idea to help by taking Daena back and clearing Darka's name and now I'm here almost back to where I started. Even if they keep saying that I'm the apocalypse in person, Amara won't care. So why worry? People just believe what they want. It's not that different from real life here. Lauren or Darka, it doesn't make any difference, it's just like real life."

His thoughts were interrupted by something grabbing his cloak.

— Miko? What...

— Are you really the Unpronounceable?

Darka sighed. It was never a good experience to talk to people he had hurt, and Lauren had heard before that she had no tact for such things.

— Yes, Miko, it's me. Didn't you hear what Daena said?

— But... You didn't even turn me into a tomato!

— Oh, wait. — Darka crushed some raspberries that were still in his hand and rubbed the red pulp on Miko's face. — There, red as a tomato. Do you believe me now?

— ... — Miko seemed to be in an internal conflict, as if they were going to start crying at any moment.

— Look, it's a complicated story. I know I don't look like the best of people and almost everything you've heard about the things I've done is true, but the reasons aren't. I don't intend to do anything they say, I just want to find someone I care about, as I already told you.

Footsteps caught Darka's attention, and he saw Daena coming towards him. She had her head down and, unlike before, she didn't seem to want to turn him into a sieve.

— Is it true? What you said.

— Even if I told you it was, you wouldn't believe it. — Darka turned to leave. — Miko, don't forget to take her home.