I don't know if there's anything worse than a constantly complaining dragon, but so far – although I haven't lived very long – I haven't encountered anything worse.

"I've already told you, no. You yourself mentioned that most peoples living in these lands fear dragons, or hate them. Flying over their heads might be a bad idea."

"And why did I even speak up..."

"I also think you could practice being quiet." I admitted without a trace of emotion on my face.

The dragon just snorted and walked two steps behind me, muttering something about annoying weeds.

Actually, he never referred to me as a human being, let alone a woman. It didn't bother me... I think. But it's annoying and I'd prefer if strangers didn't hear it.

I voiced my wish out loud, to which he snorted again.

"Just calling me a flower or weed can be misunderstood by other intelligent beings. I'd prefer to avoid misunderstandings."

A moment of silence.

"True... I heard a man calling his beloved 'flower'... I would prefer no one think something so disgusting that we are a couple if I talked about you that way."

It didn't hurt. Not at all. And even if it did, I didn't show it.

"Right. The thought that we might have a more intimate kind of relationship in the eyes of others makes me wither with horror."

I caught a glimpse of a smile on his lips. Did he like that I bit back? Strange. Somewhat masochistic.

The rustling of leaves made me stop suddenly. I wasn't sure, but it sounded like a warning.

The fact that the muscle-brained guy behind me didn't react to these subtle signs of nature indicating – perhaps – danger, made me sigh and seriously consider who has to protect whom here.

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Listening I]

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Bond with Plants I]

"Get down."

"What...?" His surprise might have amused me if not for the circumstances.

I didn't repeat it, but simply threw myself at him. I don't know where I got the strength, but I managed to knock him down. Either he was so surprised, or I don't know... In any case, he fell on his back with a loud thud, and I on him.

Before either of us had time to say or even do anything more, arrows flew over our heads – where we had previously been standing. Two stuck in a tree on the other side, and three in the ground just two steps from them.

I blinked, trying to catch my breath, which I had lost due to the fall. Suddenly, strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders. I looked down. As was smiling. I mean his lips, but his eyes were glaring menacingly.

"Sorry, I know it's hard for women to resist me and many fall for me, but get off me if I'm to defend us." The corner of his mouth twitched in a slightly mocking smile, but he didn't wait for me to get off, he threw me off himself. So to shield me with his body from the next potential attack.

However, such an attack did not come. Instead, four men emerged from between the trees.

I wanted to bite back for what he said, but at the sight of them, I lost all desire.

"You know... if most human males look like this and are considered handsome, you must be very ugly."

My words were met with laughter from the dragon, who now stood between me and the bandits and was burning – not literally, but visibly – for a fight.

Probably life in confinement away from a good fight, a way to let off steam, as befits a young dragon, can be irritating.

The men had knives, swords, and each had a bow on his shoulder.

"Hurry up. I'm hungry." Those were the only words I managed to utter, trying to maintain a calm, composed tone and not showing emotion on my face.

What a lie. Inside, I was a bundle of nerves and definitely not thinking about food.

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Bluff I]

[New Active Skill Acquired: Acting I]

Thank you, my inner voice, for such a succinct summary. Maybe there's also a skill like sarcasm? Or stating the obvious?

Okay... talking to myself is not bad, but with a voice that is kind of an informant and reacts to simple commands is rather the first signs of madness.

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Madness I]

I won't comment on that.

I came to, hearing a loud thud. It was the body of one of the attackers sliding to the ground. Another thug swung at him with a sword, and the remaining two were already preparing their swords, circling him.

Something didn't fit here. Four men? But five arrows one after another... Looking closer at the bows and their construction and the abilities of the strangers, I was ready to bet that they were not skilled enough to shoot two arrows at once, and grabbing the next and aiming takes some time.

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Intellect I]

[New Knowledge Acquired: Bows]

There are five of them!

[Skill Upgrade: Intellect I upgraded to Intellect II]

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Observant I]

As parried the attacker's sword blow, which he took from his predecessor, and countered, cutting his knee and crushing his trachea. He then jumped back from attacks from the sides and kicked the man on his right in the face, while grabbing the other by the head with his hand and smashing it into the ground, splitting the skull.

I closed my eyes, listening carefully. Deeply. Further than the sounds of battle and chirping birds. Deeper. A quiet sound. Breathing. The rustle of branches. A bowstring being drawn.

[Skill Upgrade: Listening I upgraded to Listening II]

"As...!" I wanted to warn the dragon, but he was defending himself against the fierce sword attacks from both sides. He did it with ease, but he didn't know that someone was aiming at him.

There was no time. I almost felt the arrow about to fly out from between the trees. Everything seemed to slow down as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. If only something nudged the archer. Or grabbed him by the arms...

I imagined a vine wrapping around the bow along with the hand and arrow, and then roots pulling the feet standing on them into the ground.

[Skill Upgrade: Bond with Plants I upgraded to Bond with Plants II]

"AAAACH!"

A terrifying cry came from the forest. The two scoundrels looked at each other in terror, but it was short-lived, as one soon lost his head, neatly cut off by As.

The last one left alive, screaming something and babbling clearly scared, ran towards the trees, but after a few steps fell with a sword sticking between his shoulder blades.

The dragon wasn't even out of breath, but he was clearly intrigued by the scream we had heard earlier, as he headed into the trees.

Without saying a word, I got up and ran after him.

I don't know if in my previous life I got used to disgusting things and they don't bother me, or maybe I lack empathy and imagination to feel bad at the sight of a man whose branches have grown into his hands, and vines have penetrated under his skin. The bow lay in splinters on the ground, which cut off his legs just below the knees, crushing them and tearing them from his body.

One of the branches had also grown into his eye. The man must have been suffering.

"Did you do this?" As finally asked.

I nodded uncertainly.

"I knew he was there and that you wouldn't have time to do anything... So I imagined... Not something like this, but... apparently through my bond with plants, I could convey my wish to them, and they did it... in their own way."

"I've heard of something like that. You have to be careful, Flower... Plants don't reason like we do, they don't have empathy or understanding. They don't know what moderation is, and free interpretation always turns out quite fatally. Be careful what you ask them for..."

His words sounded so serious that I didn't even bother that he called me a flower again.

"Okay." I whispered softly and approached the man. If any life energy ever flowed in him, it had long since evaporated.

We returned to the road and I began to examine the bodies. All the people on the road had remnants of life energy in them that I could absorb.

[New Passive Skill Acquired: One-Handed Sword Fighting I]

[New Knowledge Acquired: Farming]

[New Ordinary Skill Acquired: Theft I]

[New Combat Skill Acquired: (One-Handed Sword) Flank Strike 2/3]

[New Combat Skill Acquired: (One-Handed Sword) Strong Blow 1/3]

When I finished, I got up and noticed that the dragon was watching me intently.

"And? Did you get your fill?" I'm not sure, but he might have asked with a hint of cynicism in his voice.

"Yes. Let's move on." I didn't let on that I noticed and turned on my heel, moving on.