Dragon Quest XI: Partners Until the End

[Chapter 31]

"Dave! We're back!"

The rest of the party watched with mirth as they witnessed the Luminary scramble to the masked man with open arms. Dave let out a boisterous guffaw while she nearly tumbled into the older man, clearly excited to reconnect with the ex-captain. The older man had to take a step back in order to keep the teen upright, but it was evident that he wasn't upset about the girl in his arms.

"'Elcom back, Freya! Got any good news for me?" Dave asked, eyeing the girl that was beaming brightly at him. The brunette nodded enthusiastically, eliciting another chuckle from the man as she took a step back to give the masked captain some space.

"As a matter of fact, I do!" She announced. Freya dug through the pouch on her hip, and, within a few seconds, she pulled out three familiar masks—one was violet with gold trim, another was silver, and the third was reminiscent of a jester. The teen extended them out to Dave, who gingerly took them into his calloused hands. "Your souvenirs!"

"I recognize these from anywhere—Octagonia's Masked Tournament. Must've been a hoot!" Dave exclaimed, letting out a low whistle. He adjusted the masks in his palms in order to examine each one in all its finer details. "Are these yours?"

"Yup! This one's mine, that's Erik's, and that one is Sylv's!" The Luminary pointed to each mask respectively. Her head tilted up to look at the masked man's face, and Dave could see the glee dancing in her blue hues. "We had to participate in order to win the Rainbough back, and we won, of course!"

Freya then continued relating the events that occurred in Octagonia, using gestures to mimic attacks or emphasizing certain key points with grandeur. With every word, Dave nodded ardently, clinging onto the girl's story with his own reactions. To the party that already knew Dave, it was a rather familiar yet endearing sight that they had missed. Yet to the newcomers, they were at a bit of a loss.

"So who is this?" Jade whispered, directing her question to Sylvando, who had been watching with a fond grin stretched across his face. Hearing the princess ask, the jester turned to Jade with a kind smile.

"That's Dave, our helmsman for our ship—the Salty Stallion!" He explained, motioning to the vast ship out in the distance. His gaze trailed to Rab, who had an odd twinkle in his eye as he looked at the masked man. Sylvando let out a knowing snicker and tilted his head towards his friends. "Here, let me introduce you two,"

Leading the way, Sylvando let the pair towards the chattering duo. As the group grew closer, they could hear the end of Freya's tale, which ended with her fighting Vince to solidify his redemption. At the end, Dave let out a laugh and reached over to ruffle the girl's brown locks.

"That's great to hear, kiddo! I'm proud of ya!" He sang, earning a giggle from Freya in response. Retracting his hand, Dave puffed out his chest and placed his hands onto his hips. "Y'know I won one back in my day too,"

"Really?! Tell me about it!" Freya squeaked with awed sparkles shimmering in her eyes. Just as Dave was going to start his story, Sylvando clapped his hands loudly, gaining the pair's attention. The performer's lips curled into an amused smirk, causing Freya to sheepishly grin back at her companion.