I wanted to eat the snake. I really did. It's probably for the best that I couldn't as the meat might have been poisonous or something. The scales were too tough, anyways. I settled for burying it instead, and offering a small prayer to the worthy foe who had fought honorably. Well, not so much at the end, that part wasn't so honorable, but I choose to forget that part.
In a strange way, I do have to offer it some thanks, however. The outside world holds no more fear for me now. Okay, sure, maybe that snake did cause that fear in the first place, but it also helped me to grow stronger, in more ways than one. Maybe it did hurt some people, too, but hey, we all have to eat, right? Either way, it's gone now, and there seems like little reason to hold a grudge against the creature.
I strode triumphantly back to the small village, briefly forgetting, neither for the first time nor, I'm sure, the last, that paladin's are supposed to be humble. I wasn't until I had reached the very outskirts that I remembered that I don't have any proof of my deed, nor the ability to even properly communicate it. Thankfully, somehow, that proved to not be an issue. I guess it makes sense that if quest givers can create a waypoint to the goal, they're also aware of when it is defeated.
"Thank you, brave warrior." the armored man says, "Thanks to you, the souls of the departed can rest easily, and the village can, once more, be at peace. Take this..." he says, removing the long blade from a sheath across his back. A steel sword, clearly high quality, even from my own limited understanding of such things. It's a lot shinier than my current one, anyways, and therefore superior. "This is a valuable heirloom passed down throughout my family for generations. My fighting days are over, and my best days behind me, and it only seems right for it to be passed on to a true hero."
If I could talk, I would be very tempted to argue that I can't possibly take anything so precious, but then I realize that as soon as he removed it from his sheath and held it aloft, another seemingly identical sword had reappeared upon his back. Huh, maybe he has a really big family, and therefore a lot of heirlooms? I can't afford to turn down a weapon which may aid me in my quest, either. There are far, far more greater dangers out there than the trinity serpent, and I would require all the help that I can get in order to overcome them.
I bark excitedly, withdrawing my beginners sword and place it in my inventory pouch, and take the longer, shinier blade and place it in the sheath. I hadn't even considered that it might not fit, but thankfully it's not an issue.
--- Weapon Equiped! Champions Longsword! ---
The armored man blinks and looks down to me, seemingly noticing that he is speaking to a canine for the first time. This isn't so unexpected. Quest givers tend to be especially focused on their task and, as I mentioned before, talk at whoever is around to listen rather than to them. With the quest complete, their attention is freed up to notice other things.
"Wait... were you the one who defeated the dreaded TrinitySerpent?" he asks, incredulously. I bark excitedly in response. I still have no proof, but he seems to know that I'm telling the truth. No surprise. I have a very honest face, after all. He can only shake his head and chuckle in response, as he gives me my real reward: a well earned head pat and a "Good boy!"
Okay, technically, I would have rathered he notice I'm a girl, but considering that just a few moments before he hadn't even seemed to recognize that I was a dog, it's hard to be too critical of such things. As a proper, modest canine, I also make a point to keep my tail lowered whenever possible, so maybe it's less obvious to humans.
I sit down and look back across the small village. It's only a few family homesteads, making a simple living, but it's still home, and the best part? Not a single exclamation point in sight. Sure, those strange glowing symbols floating in mid air might have been sort of pretty, and they did add a little visual flair to the otherwise plain buildings and citizens, but I can't say that I miss them too much. I really feel like I made a difference, and in truth? That's more satisfying that the most delicious meat or the most comfortable nap.
I couldn't rest yet, though. I still had a mission to accomplish, one which has barely even begun. I spent a little too much time here, and might have to be a little more picky with helping people in the future. Well, I'll worry about that when it happens. For now, there's still a faint yet incredibly familiar scent leading out of the village and towards my ultimate goal: My missing owner. I can't say how far away he is, exactly, but there is one thing I can say for sure: Now that I've begun walking, he's a few fewer steps away than he was just a few minutes before. That might not sound like much, but it's a universe of difference compared to standing still.