Side Story 1.4 - I can see dragons!

If someone told you he saw a giant nutria walking towards a pub with two Meerman friends, you wouldn't trust him.

First of all, you would probably stop talking to that kind of deranged person, or else you would at least start sniffing the hair for the odor of alcohol or other psychotropic substances possibly originating from your imaginative friend.

Well, in Ouroboros, even though it was a rare sight, the strange one would be you, not your friend.

In fact, at the present moment in time, Danu, John, and Jake were actually walking together.

Their destination was the bar, but their walking speed was quite slow.

Danu continued turning left and right and couldn't walk straight.

Shortly he was high.

''Oh my god, that stuff was too strong.

I can see dragons! ''

Danu exclaimed loudly at one point.

The two Meermans watched each other, and after laughing a fair bit, John answered him.

''Aahah, that's right, but that's not because of the pufferfish.

That's an actual water dragonkin! ''

''Ahahahahah. ''

Both the Meermans resumed laughing at the same moment.

Watching the worried face of Danu change gradually into embarrassment.

That's right, this was the night just after Danu somehow survived delivering the message of Hades to Poseidon.

He still felt the effects of the pufferfish, but due to his overthinking and worrywart personality, an ulterior Nocebo effect was enhancing the magic air's impact in his mind.

John and Jake were used to this sight and were actually happy to see Danu in this way.

In a sense, the first time they formed a bond of friendship was because of the same reason.

At that time, they had been working as entry guards for about one month and had never seen Danu before.

Meermans had an average height of about 2 meters, but suddenly they saw approaching a giant black entity with measures comparable to 50-80 normal Meermans.

They started trembling and thought a monster somehow arrived up to them and was trying to attack the Royal palace.

Shortly after seeing them with their spears in their hands, Danu sighed visibly and raised himself on his hind legs.

''Don't worry, I'm not here to fight anyone.

If you ask any other guard about Lord Danu, they should tell you I'm the official messenger between the God Kings of the Sea and the Underworld. ''

At that moment, their skin tone slowly regained its usual light blue from the white one caused by the sudden stress.

After they secretly decided who had to go check and who had to stay waiting, together with that hulking monster through a game of Paper, Scissors, Rock.

That was probably the most intense game since its invention of it.

Both of them started playing mind games with each other, but in the end, through a mix of skills and luck, John won and tip-tapped happily, entering the palace to ask for further information.

Jake went back towards Danu, and a slightly awkward silence created between the two of them.

''You should have chosen Rock, right? ''

Danu broke the silence this way.

Jake didn't know if it was the right thing to faint now or if he had to wait for John to come back.

Seeing him lose color in his face again, he continued.

''Eh, don't worry, it's quite a normal reaction.

From my point of view, that's the same story from the day I was created.

You two aren't the first two guards reacting this way and won't probably be the last.''

Jake regained color again and was on the point to thank him.

Moreover, hearing his words, he felt a not-so-hidden loneliness in them.

''Lord Danu, I ask you to excuse us for our ignorance.

You can now enter. ''

John returned at that moment and stopped that sudden intimate situation that originated between the other two.

Danu nodded with a relaxed face and normally continued his day of work.

Waiting for him to leave the hearing range, John teased his friend:''Did he eat you while I was aw... ''

''Stop! ''

Jake cut him off with such speed and decision that, in the beginning, he didn't know the reason himself.

Then after a couple seconds of thinking back to their interaction, from start to end, he understood.

''He's a good person.

I don't think he deserves such words. ''

Seeing him with such a resolute face, John answered with dissatisfaction:'' What a party-pooper. ''

They waited for about half an hour before leaving their post of guard in order to return to their home.

At least that was what they planned to do had that been a usual day like another.

''Oh, why evry tme! ''

From inside the palace, they heard a loud and coarse voice.

It couldn't articulate every word in the correct manner.

After a few seconds, they saw in front of them a black giant walking in a waving manner.

''Oh, hi sew unex tim. ''

Somehow his pronunciation problem was worsening, but he still remembered their face.

Smiling one to the other, deciding what to do instantly, they walked towards Danu and tried supporting him while guiding him towards a pub.

That night their friendship was born, and Danu was the one to support them on their way back to their respective homes.

In this way, was created a strange relationship where one protects the other while not in their best shape.

Already that night, they stopped caring about the external appearance of Danu.

Partly, thanks to the ale, which deleted any possible problem in their mind if assumed in the ideal dosage.

Partly, thanks to the fact that, for once, they had an entire table in the most crowded pub in town.

That's right.

The other customers felt such fear, seeing the humongous, dark nutria that they instinctively chose another table to sit at.

At the present moment, their relaxing time together was proceeding as usual.

They helped Danu to walk out of the palace and sober up while entering the entertainment district.

When both of them could talk and walk in a normal-ish way they were ready to enter the famous 'Drank Dab'.

Learning from their past experiences, they usually opted for a private room when possible.

After all, every sip Danu took...

''You know that the crazy fisherman has a collection of moisturizers?!... He says it's for one of his women, but one time I saw his face was strangely hydrated, and the container was opened hehe. ''

''Guess who searches for me, and always asks me how is the weather?!... Yes, that lonely, pitiful bone man. He isn't as crazy as the brother, but it sure is depressing! ''

He continued shooting scoops that could destabilize the theocratic society as they know it in the present.

The first night they were together, Danu somehow tested the water with the new audience by keeping the official title of 'God King' in his gossip sentences.

Slowly but surely, understanding the personality of the two guards, he arrived at this point where he could speak without biting his own tongue and freeing his suppressed grudge against his high-profile bosses at work.

The two Meermans, on one side, became disillusioned by the concept of divinity.

On the other, were worried for their life, but oh well, it was too late for that.

They already knew too much, way too much.

''And then...then when he read the letter he seemed so angry he made the whole water transform into ice! ''

John and Jake still logically didn't want to hear, but the curiosity hit them instantly, and they thought instantly :*Something is brewing underwater. *