"So it's real."
Far in front of me is a green patch of land in the middle of the desert.
My men had reported its existence to me, and I came here to see it for myself.
"There's two golems guarding it."
It's populated. Likely by only one person. And that person is its owner and the master of the golems.
I have two options: to kill that person, or ally with them.
I'll see what they're like.
Knowing I can easily defeat the golems guarding it, I strolled towards it with no fear.
As I came closer, the golems were immediately alerted. But they didn't put up a guard nor show any kind of hostility. They only slowly followed my back as I get to the center of the green land.
There, I saw a beautiful person gracefully sitting beside a tall and majestic tree.
My mind instantly thought of the goddess in the old tales.
She couldn't be her...?
"A lion man?" she said, her voice sounding like the warm morning sun that disappeared a long time ago in the desert lands.
The thought of killing her and taking her land mysteriously vanished in my mind.
I can only negotiate and ally with her now.
"My name is Anhur Ragna, I'm the chief of the lion man tribe South from here," I introduced myself.
Without thinking much about it, I also kneeled on one leg to show my respect.
"My name is Rhea. As you can see, I'm a Dryad, and the owner of this place."
A Dryad? They're also in the old tales. They're monsters that mainly prey on rare humans.
So she's a monster? I cannot believe it. Even in the eyes of a lion man, she's too beautiful to be one.
"Tell me, what did you come here for?" she asked.
I came here to make an alliance or take her green land.
I didn't admit to either.
"Please, help my people. They're starving," I begged.
It was not my intention to beg. A prideful lion man like myself would never. I was compelled.
How strange. I can only come to the conclusion that she has some kind of power that forces me to submit. As I thought, she might be a higher being.
While thinking she's both strange and fascinating, I continued to negotiate.
Our negotiation ended with me, agreeing to make my tribe her guards, and her magically producing food for us.
On that same day, I came back to my tribe carrying a wide net of fruits and a basket of fish.
"Amazing!"
"There's so many!"
My men began to celebrate.
"It's too bad we have no meat, but these fat fishes would do."
"What are you saying? These are even better than meat."
For the first time in many, many days, we get to eat until our stomachs were completely full.
In the morning the next day, I packed up my things to fulfill my end of the deal.
"So you're really going to live there, chief?"
"Yes, and I'll ask for everyone to live there as well."
"Is that person really that amazing?"
"I wouldn't do this otherwise."
I turned around and surveyed my men, my kin.
"Our ancestors were once kings, if not, they were warriors who served kings. I won't be a king in these lands, but I found a master to serve. I'll be on my way."
Right now, they wouldn't understand my choice. But they will once they see that beautiful person. I need to do good in my work so she would accept them as well.