I Alone Breed Dragons

Chapter 51: Leading To Baran

The bandit maintained his finger on his rifle. He strained to force the calm stare but it cracked. The market fell silent at the confrontation, everyone appeared to freeze their breath.

I held firm, didn’t recoil, keeping my head pressed to the barrel. I stood resolute, even if I sought to weaponize his fear. I had already forged ice into a hardened spot where his barrel rested — ice solidified a hardened spot under his gun’s barrel. If he pressed the trigger, I remained alive, which alone would make matters worse for him.

The bandit lingered a little longer. His eyes flicked down to his comrade, dead, with blood seeping out of his skull. I caught his stare.

"You don’t want to end up like him," I growled.

The bandit eased his gun deliberately. He advanced a step back, spun on his heels, and fled.

Randall strode forward, raising his rifle to take a shot. I raised my hand.

"Leave him. Let him go."

Randall dropped his gun.

"You’re sure? Hope he won’t come back with others for revenge."

"I don’t think he would. Are you okay?" I pivoted toward Mrs. Anoya.

"Yes, I’m fine. Walter? Thank you... I didn’t know you had returned to the village."

"I just returned. Not long ago."

Randall extended her a cloth to assist wiping the blood stain, which had marked her.

"Sorry it had to spill on you."

"No, it’s fine. Thank you for saving me."

Mrs. Anoya took the cloth, wiping the blood stains off her face, her hand still unsteady.

"It’s nothing," Randall beamed.

People rose from the ground. Those hiding behind stalls emerged, then whispered among themselves. Confusion lingered — using magic before them had sparked questions, as they gazed at me with astonishment and suspicion, while most stood relieved.

I scanned the crowd. The bandits’ attack had presented a perfect opportunity. If I planned to kill Baran, I needed to seize his position, since he held a seat at the council with deep ties into the Dragon Kingdom. With his position, I could wield my power from the inside to fracture the land from the Dragon Kingdom — holding two positions would amplify my influence to maneuver strategically rather than a reckless strike. And only the villagers could vote in a new leader.

I strode into the center of the market, surrounded by their gaze.

"My people," I declared, and the crowd fell silent. "It is no news of my departure from Farmhills village, but I want you all to know what you’ve been told is lies. I never abandoned my village."

I raked my eyes through the crowd, their attention locked on me, then I pressed on.

"The truth is I had been betrayed by the very person I should have trusted. Baran. Your village chief sold me to the Dragon Kingdom."

The murmur swelled. "What? Baran sold him?"

"Is that actually true?"

"How awful."

"Though what he plotted for evil resulted in my favor. Still, this village thrives with more activity because of the roads Baran had traded me for. But now tell me — where is he? How did he plan to secure you people? When people like them strike once more—"

I jabbed a finger at the bandits sprawled unconscious.

"He failed to consider that. He simply abandoned us." I swept my hand toward the village edge. "No knight stationed in our village. We stand to protect ourselves. I don’t need a position in government to protect my people — I do it because you’re my people. I know what my father had done for this village. I won’t let our village lie in harm’s way. I’ll do everything to shield my people."

The aftermath of my speech immersed the people in thought. It wasn’t needed to call on them to support me as village chief — all I did was sow a seed. Now, when Baran’s death reaches the village, they would instinctively surface me as an option.

The villagers heaped thanks and praises upon me.

Randall approached me, the rifle slung on his shoulder. His eyes raked across the bodies of bandits.

"So what are we going to do with them?"

"They’re unconscious so they will wake soon. Just toss them at the edge of town."

"What about the dead one?"

"Burn it. Can you distribute the purses back to their owners?"

"Sure." Randall moved forward. "Alright everyone, line up. And please don’t claim what isn’t yours — let’s be orderly."

The merchants and everyone present lined up as Randall handled everything without a hitch. I observed him and grew more confident about handing him the responsibility to keep the village safe. He possessed all the qualities of a leader, from what I could see.

They received their purses one by one. Among the crowd of merchants, while others stood relieved from the resolved situation, I spotted an uneasy figure. He appeared wary. He slipped away from the crowd, not joining the line — wary, repeatedly glancing behind him.

I avoided his direction, not to make my attention obvious.

He melted into a dark alley, vanishing into the shadows. Something about him nagged at me. I attempted to dredge a memory I held about him, if by any chance I knew his name, but nothing surfaced. There was no way I knew everybody in the village by name.

Wait. A memory then surfaced in my head — it remained hazy. But during a harvest season, he assisted Baran. I recalled now — he was one of Baran’s loyalists.

’Perfect.’

I pivoted toward the alley.

"Walter?" While I held my gaze on the alley ahead, a familiar voice rang out from above. It was Quinette. She dropped from the air with her wings unfurled in a glide. On landing she attracted stares to herself — more because she stood with me.

"I arrived as soon as I heard gunshots. I trusted you could handle whatever it was, but your family is worried."

"Quinette, good thing you’re here." I then strode to the alley. "I have someone I need to shadow — in hope he guides me to who I’m seeking." I met her eyes. "Quinette, protect my family with your life. I’ll be back. I have a personal score to settle."

"As you have commanded, so I will act."

"Thank you."

"You don’t have to." Quinette said.

My wings unfurled from my back. With one flap I launched into the air, and Quinette flew back to my family.