Chapter 36 :  The Kind Hearted Dragon (1)

The two mercenaries locked eyes, their hearts hammering like war drums, unable to fathom the treasure that had stumbled into their grasp.

A mountain of gold seemed to shimmer before them.

“What are we waiting for?”

Aurina’s voice cut through, sharp and urgent.

“That fool Richard will come sniffing if he gets wind of this.”

The lanky one’s grin gleamed with greed.

“Right, follow me—now.”

The burly one raised a meaty hand.

“Hold on. Too many eyes out there. The whole city’s buzzing with your name.”

The lanky one nodded, his mind racing.

“Smart thinking. I’ll grab something to cover her.”

“Hurry.”

The lanky Merchant bolted from the alley, returning moments later, breathless, clutching a voluminous hooded cloak.

“Just bought it. Put it on quick.”

“Thanks!”

Aurina chirped, snatching the cloak with a grin.

The lanky one chuckled.

“Didn’t know you could say thanks.”

“Richard taught me the magic words,” Aurina replied, her tone playful.

“Says the little bugs love hearing it.”

As she spoke, she spat a tongue of flame at the grimy cloak, its fabric sizzling under the fire’s cleansing touch.

With a flick, it gleamed pristine, as if freshly woven.

She draped it over her shoulders, pulling the hood low.

“Now, take me to the gold!”

The lanky one burst out laughing.

The burly one’s face tightened.

“Stop it. Richard’s still nearby.”

The lanky one’s grin vanished.

“Right.”

The mercenaries moved to leave, the burly one reaching for Aurina’s hand.

Her tail lashed out, striking his hand with a crack.

He winced, clutching his reddened, swelling hand, pain carving lines into his brow.

“Don’t touch me, little bug,” Aurina warned, her voice edged with menace.

The burly one grimaced, pride stinging.

The young dragon’s strength surpassed his expectations—too much for him to draw his weapon.

Arrogant beast, he thought darkly.

Wait till you’re caged.

You’ll learn.

“Hurry up,” he growled.

They broke into a jog, Aurina trailing silently, her steps light as a whisper.

They mounted horses, Aurina perched behind, and galloped out of the city.

Hooves thundered for two or three miles until they reached a camp by a river near Nabumei.

The camp was a cluster of tents, dominated by a massive sky-blue pavilion at its heart, ringed by crude earthen walls.

As their horses charged in, the burly one leapt from his panting steed, waving frantically.

“Quick! Tell the captain—we’ve found the dragon girl!”

A Merchant with a dented helmet gaped.

“What?”

Aurina lowered her hood, revealing a youthful, cherubic face.

Her eyes sparkled as they fixed on the sky-blue tent, calculating its worth: one thousand six hundred and twelve gold coins.

“You’re all such good little bugs,” she said, voice dripping with delight.

“Wait here,” the burly one ordered, dragging the lanky one into the pavilion before the guards could stop them.

Inside the spacious, luxurious tent dwelt the Merchant band’s elite core—four seasoned adventurers turned mercenaries, lured by lower risks and richer rewards.

An elf crouched on a cushion, a composite bow across her thighs, her face half-hidden, pointed ears peeking from golden hair.

A bald dwarf mage muttered over a spellbook, grumbling about funds for arcane scrolls.

A white-scaled half-dragon bore Tiamat’s emblem on their chest.

At the center sat the captain, clad in full plate, a scar slashing across his face.

He picked at his nails with a dagger, his expression souring as he looked up.

“What do you two want?”

“We’ve got her,” the lanky one blurted.

“The dragon girl—we tricked her into coming. Captain, you’d better reward us well!”

The captain’s scarred eye widened.

“What?”

“She dropped right out of the sky at the back gate,” the lanky one said, barely containing his excitement.

“I told her we had gold, and she followed like a fool. Told us not to tell Richard.”

A cry rang from the entrance: “What are you—argh!”

The veiled elf archer snatched her bow and stood, her lacquered leather armor gleaming.

The mercenaries turned to see Aurina barreling through the tent flap, the guard outside curled into a ball, clutching his groin.

Her fiery red hair and black-red dragon horns proclaimed her identity: the daughter of the dread dragon.

Shock rippled through the tent.

Had their scheme been uncovered?

The white-scaled half-dragon, dwarf mage, and captain leapt up, hands drifting to weapons, wary of her fleeing—or attacking.

Aurina’s eyes gleamed.

“Where’s the gold? Is it on you?”

She pointed at each in turn: the elf’s enchanted bow, the captain’s magical sword and shield, the half-dragon’s enchanted chainmail, the dwarf’s magical headwrap.

Their gear totaled a mere five hundred thirty-two gold and six silver.

The captain forced a laugh.

“Clever dragon. Want the gold?”

“Of course!”

Aurina chirped, her childlike enthusiasm disarming.

“I’m just a kid who loves gold coins. Hand them over!”

“Wait right there, good girl,” the captain said, his smile venomous.

He turned to his bedroll, opened a chest, and pulled out a heavy steel collar, faintly glowing with golden light.

Forged by a master enchanter, bought with a fortune and favors, it could suppress even an adult dragon’s magic, leaving only brute strength to break it.

The craftsman swore no dragon could escape it, though he’d left no signature.

The captain had tested it, chaining an elephant with ease and selling it for profit.

This collar was why they’d taken the job.

He turned, cradling the collar like a relic, its weight promising one thousand seventy-two gold coins in Aurina’s eyes.

“This is a gold collar,” he said, his smile a wolf’s grin.

“Wear it, and gold will rain from the sky.”

“Give it to me!”

Aurina demanded.

“Stretch out your neck, and I’ll help you put it on.”

“Alright!”

The elf archer stifled a laugh, her centuries of life never witnessing such absurdity.

As the captain glanced at her, usually humorless, Aurina lunged.

She snatched the collar, tossed it into her mouth, and with a flash of red, it vanished.

The captain froze.

“Where’s the collar?”

The elf pointed at Aurina.

“She just—”

Aurina spun, pointing outside.

“Richard’s here!”

Instinctively, everyone turned.

In that moment, Aurina grabbed the captain’s magical sword, tilted her head back, and unleashed a blaze at the tent’s roof.

The elf shouted, “Get down!”

A fireball erupted from Aurina’s mouth, streaking toward the ceiling.

She twisted, yanking the sword free, her tail whipping the captain’s leg, denting his greave.

Had he not dove instinctively, his leg would’ve been shattered.

He screamed as the fireball detonated, flames engulfing the tent.

The lanky and burly mercenaries, too slow, were consumed, collapsing in shrieks.

Aurina, gripping the sword, pinned the captain with a foot and swung at his unhelmed head.

Clang!

An arrow struck the blade, deflecting it.

The elf archer, her veil burned away, revealed a sharp, pale face and resolute green eyes.

Her enchanted bow was already nocked.

Aurina grinned.

“Well, aren’t you a fine female!”

Her cheeks puffed, and she spat another burst of flame, less deadly but enough to obscure vision.

Leaping off the captain, she dodged two arrows that pierced her former spot.

Transforming into a dragon, she soared skyward.

The captain staggered up, cursing as he clutched his leg.

“Damn it, she escaped!”

The dwarf mage blinked.

“How’d she know?”

“That idiot lanky fool!” the captain roared, glaring at the smoldering mercenaries.

“She overheard him. Clever, wretched dragon! Thanks, Evelyn.”

“Short-lived fool,” the elf archer muttered, her ears twitching at the sound of wings.

“She’s back!”

The tent’s rear burst into flames, a hole scorched through.

Aurina, in dragon form, dove through, her shark-like teeth snapping at the half-dragon’s neck.

The tent’s walls hid her approach, but not her fire.

She’d memorized their positions.

Caught off-guard, the half-dragon fell, Aurina’s teeth tearing through his enchanted chainmail and scales.

Her claws pinned his shoulders, her jaws wrenching his neck.

Blood sprayed as he screamed, a sound his comrades had never heard.

The captain lunged for a spare weapon, shouting, “Stop her!”

The elf nocked an arrow, the dwarf began a spell, as chaos reigned in the burning tent.