(Drake's POV)
After deciding our path towards our goals, we set off into the skies, as it would be much easier to just fly across the skies than walk, even though the enormously hot temperature of the atmosphere was hitting us all hard, we only walked during the day, and once the night arrived and the temperatures finally lowered, I carried everybody on my back as I flew across the skies.
"Despite this being a literal hellscape, the night is sure pretty!" Benladann admired the night skies. "There are so many stars."
"It's probably because there are so few clouds in the sky, or something else…" Miranda said.
"Mama, will we one day get to see the stars closer?" Benladra wondered, drinking some fruit juice.
"The stars?" Benladann wondered. "I-I don't know if we could ever go to space… It is dangerous and rather unnecessary? …But maybe, who knows what's out there? Ah, right, I do remember some things of what's out there though."
"Other worlds and stuff?" Yuki wondered.
"More or less." Ruby nodded. "After all, Drake and Benladann souls are from a different world than ours. I bet there might be many other, different worlds out there."
"Woah, that sounds so crazy…" Hector sighed. "Though, it kind of scares me a bit to think about other worlds…"
"Well, from what they've spoken about, the world they came from is a mixed bag." Said Rakasha. "Drake has said it was much more peaceful and calmer than our own, while Benladann… well, she didn't had good experiences there."
"Hmm, not at all." Benladann sighed. "I would rather just not bother to remember my previous life. This second life has been so much different, I just think about that previous life as just some bad dream."
"We've got a whole family now, don't we?" Miranda giggled. "You even got yourself a baby girl and a husband, so lucky~"
"H-Hey, you're also in the same boat…" Benladann sighed.
"Hahaha, I am glad you think that away though, Benladann." I said. "Since the moment I meet you that I've strived to make your life happier. I'm so happy you think that way."
"Drake…" Benladann suddenly blushed a bit, caressing my scales. "Of course… Thank you for everything, dear."
I felt a bit embarrassed there, but it helped that I couldn't glance at them while I was flying towards the direction I was aiming. Aegir was the only one I could glance, as she was sitting over my nose.
"Auntie Miranda, when is my little sibling going to be born?" Benladra wondered, touching her slightly bigger belly.
"E-Eh? I-I don't know…" Miranda said. "Maybe… soon? It does feels like the child is almost completely done, but it might take some time for the child to want to come out or be completely… created."
"It's so weird how you're wording it." Yuki laughed. "Just say it might take a few more months or something…!"
"H-Hey! This is my first time having a child, okay?!" Miranda sighed.
"Well, Yuki is nobody to talk, she's still a virgin." Tisha laughed, patting her shoulders.
"H-Huh?!" Yuki seemed to have grown embarrassed. "T-This conversation is going nowhere! Shut it!"
"Hahahaha! Youth is truly wonderful sometimes." Kraxka laughed.
"Honestly, I never thought I would be going on adventures at my age." Larzak sighed. "Well, we've gotta keep working hard as well, we're not just having vacations."
"Right." Hector nodded. "Coming along with everyone here is a way for me to… well, repay Lord Drake for his protection, and all his support to our family and clan. My wife and daughter can live peacefully all thanks to him."
"Cut it out you guys, you're getting me embarrassed now!" I sighed. "Why do you always get wholesome out of the sudden?"
"Hahaha, don't pretend to not love this kind of talk." Benladann giggled. "You've never been a grumpy dragon."
"Right… Well, whatever- Huh? Oh, I can see something. Smoke? And… a Small village? What is going on?!"
"Drake? What's happening?" Miranda wondered.
"A village? Ah! I can see it too." Benladann nodded.
"Village!" Benladra said.
"People? Fire giants?" Asked Kate.
"Well, I don't know…" I sighed. "I'm getting bad vibes out of this, but let's descend for now, to check it out."
Once we arrived at the scene, we were greeted by a large village in ruins. Smoke was coming from mostly all the burned houses, and… corpses. Over a hundred corpses were scattered everywhere. They looked like they had been killed just recently, but these flames burned them until they were unrecognizable.
"B-By the gods…" Aegir said, her face shocked. A goddess shocked about such bloodshed? I guess she was more innocent than I thought.
"…I knew that Muspelheim was a war-driven continent, but to find our first village in ruins…" I sighed, looking at the corpses.
"Could… this had been done by some sort of rival tribe?" Wondered Benladann.
"Maybe…" Miranda sighed. "Ugh… This sight, it reminds me of… Ahh… I better not remember."
"What in the world is this?!" Hector cried. "W-What sort of savage could had done so much damage… so much destruction?!"
"Hector, tone it down." Kraxka said. "Respect the dead and remain silent if possible."
"I can already tell by the weapons they were holding while dying, they are all warriors." Larzak said. "They died fighting… Nobody would go to this extent without wanting to protect something or someone. Let's look for survivors."
"Alright." Ruby nodded. "Mom, Rakasha."
The three Vampires began searching with everybody else, as I turned into my Ice Giant form and started inspecting the area.
Seeing the burn toys of children, and the faces of anguish and pain of the people that died… It made me feel terrible.
To think just a few minutes ago I was so carefree, despite such horror having happened just some time ago in here.
I couldn't help but clench my fists in anger and frustration.
"The flames these died from… They're strange." Aegir said, analyzing some of the corpses. "They possess the divine power of the Red Orb, Drake."
"What?"
