Autharyx’ expression falls slightly when his host discounts his compliments out of hand. He feels as if he has committed some kind of social faux pas, but how could he have when all he did was compliment Viltez on his strength? The man said he didn’t ‘see himself as a fighter’, but would that really mean he wasn’t planning to fight if anyone were to mean him harm? The very idea seems inconceivable to Autharyx, but it does make him a bit uneasy. With all this talk about ‘not being better than anyone’, he was starting to think that Viltez might not place his own life above that of some foolish mortals who might attack him. 

Luckily for him, Autharyx knows that Viltez is far more interesting than the scores of humans he’d met in his long existence. Of the two of them, surely the dragon is more qualified to judge the worth of his existence against that of another? He can’t very well tell the human that, though, so he supposed he should let it rest for now.

“I apologise if my comments caused you… discomfort,” he says as they start to walk, swallowing his pride. “I only meant to say you have shown yourself to be strong and fast, and good company besides that.” He doesn’t mention the failed hunt, as Viltez seems perfectly content to skim over it as well. It wasn’t as if her [i]would[/i] have failed if he’d actually put some effort into it, after all. 

He keeps the conversation light as they head back, talking about what to get for dinner and other unimportant mortal tidbits. It’s not as nice as running around in the forest had been, but he likes it anyway. In spite of his earlier reassurances, he notices he gets a bit more on guard as they near the village. Surely no one had seen them, but if they did it would be good to be prepared. He was paying attention to Viltez, but made sure to keep an eye on their surroundings as well, both with his natural and supernatural senses.