He burned with pride as much as he burned the people around him, the warmth from stoking flames seemed to be the only reason anyone stuck around. 

Travelers usually didn’t take too well to being shepherd, but he didn’t seem to understand that, insisting on leading the group through the means of either passionate ushering or stamping his foot, akin to a child. 

It’d be funny if it wasn’t so irritating, enough to deter anyone getting too close, the only thing bringing the group closer is the few successes he’s managed to wrought, ones you didn’t think he’d let go of anytime soon. 

Any wheedling into his past would simply bring up the supposedly ‘prosperous’ village of Daycun, for someone full of self-interest in curing his own curse, he didn’t seem to enjoy talking about himself when it came to the faults that brought on this fate. 

“Piece of shit!” (Small grunt of effort, he’d just drove his sword into the boars back.) 

“Huh..huh..” (Small pants of excretion.) 

“Sacred sun of Halycon, do you wretched little travelers ever listen to what’s good for you?” (Slightly haughty, annoyed tone.) 

“If you’d simply listened when I instruct you, or have your little divine punishments rotten your mind to any sort of sense?” (Aggressive, but he doesn’t seem to actually mean it that deeply.) 

“You’re lucky to possess such an ally such as myself.” (Haughty rich-boy tone, but slightly insecure, like he’s trying to prove it to himself more than everyone else.) 

“..Here, someone start a fire.” (Calms down slightly, he feels almost bad for his harsh words, but not enough to admit it.) 

“No, I'm not using my hands to cook the meat, the day you see me roasting any sort of protein on my chest is the day I forfeit my right to call myself the empress’s son.” (Deadpanned, slightly annoyed.) 

“Eat now, stop loitering around.” (Firm but caring.)