The dragon slayers had a name of their own: the Oscuras Mercenary Company.
Oscuras was a small country on the edge of the Lake of a Thousand Lakes. The name might sound unfamiliar, but everyone knew of one being associated with it: the Lady of the Lake.
But after they slew a dragon, people preferred to call them the more distinctive, impressive Dragon-Slaying Team.
"Dragon slayers" was both an honor and a curse. On balance, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
The Oscuras Mercenary Company wasn't made up of people wholly consumed by fame. They still held to certain principles and hunted only dragons that had committed terrible deeds.
Like the Evil Dragon now rampaging through the Broken Mountains.
Perhaps that had something to do with their captain being a Holy Knight.
Vice-Captain Skeeter led the new recruits to meet the captain and the others. At a makeshift camp outside the city, Annan saw the leader of the Oscuras Mercenary Company: a resolute, upright Holy Knight.
He had to admit, it was good to see a Holy Knight in a place like the Broken Mountains.
"Why is there an extra person?"
The Holy Knight captain's gaze swept over Annan, the Heart Hunter, and the Ranger.
"Something unexpected happened. One of them offered to help for free."
The Holy Knight captain's eyes landed on Annan at once. Of the three, he looked least like a mercenary.
Deputy Captain Skeeter went over and murmured an explanation to him.
After listening in silence, the Holy Knight captain nodded to Annan in greeting. "I'm Reyne, captain of the Oscuras Mercenary Company. Two of our members have temporarily left the team, so I recruited three people in Golden City."
"First, welcome to the Oscuras Mercenary Company. We've prepared a simple welcome feast so we can get