I Alone Breed Dragons

Chapter 53: Goodbye Baran

Baran backed toward the door,

"Impossible."

"What are you doing here? Who let you out of the dragon kingdom?" he demanded, his voice laced with terror.

I rose from the chair and strode past the desk with deliberate strides that taunted him. His eyes tracked me wherever I moved.

He took another step and hit the door threshold.

"Move another step, and I’ll take your legs."

"Who do you think you are? I don’t know how you managed to sneak in here. I’ll get you arrested. Bron, call all the guards."

I pinned Bron with a glare.

"Move a step and I’ll kill you."

Bron locked up, his legs balked. He had seen what I could do. He had beheld me use magic firsthand in the market. Unlike Baran, who still harbored doubts.

"Bron, what are you still doing here? Run and call the guards!"

Bron quaked, resisting any movement.

"Why don’t you call the guards yourself, Baran? Why send your lackey? Hmm?"

My footsteps echoed through the room, slow and taunting. I advanced on Baran, then halted before him, bending closer as I bored into his eyes.

"Tell me, Baran. When you told my family lies, what was your plan?"

Baran stiffened.

"I’m not scared of you. You’re just a child. You know nothing about the world."

"That wasn’t my question."

"I did what I had to do."

"You’re avoiding my question. And I wouldn’t repeat myself again, Baran."

He ground his teeth and held silent.

"You don’t want to speak? Fine. Tonight you’re going to die for selling me out and trying to turn my family against me. Fortunately for me, both of your plans failed spectacularly."

"Kill me?" The old man balled his fist. "Like I’ll stand and let you try!" He raised his voice, recoiled as he thrust his hand at me.

Shadow magic.

A thick fog of shadow cloaked me, darkening my vision. I hesitated, feeling no damage.

[Shadow magic (C rank)]

[Adapt 100%]

I shook my head. "How weak."

But could be stronger.

I slashed the shadow from my vision.

[Absorb: Shadow Magic (C rank)]

I kept it absorbed for later on with [Adaptive Learning] I can add it to my Affinity Core.

By my side, Bron remained rooted, hadn’t moved a step, his legs quivering, sweat drenching his shirt.

The people feared magic. It amazed me.

I placed a finger to my lips, commanding silence. "Everything that happens here stays between us."

He recoiled, then nodded frantically.

Good.

I surged after Baran, streaked through the corridor tracking his frantic stomps, and shot past him effortlessly. The wind of my speed whistled by.

I planted myself between him and the exit door beneath the chandelier, which cast a harsh spotlight on us.

"Now I’m actually more curious. That weak magic of yours—what was it supposed to do?"

Baran wrenched his legs to a sharp halt. He thrust his palm again.

Shadow—

Sweep.

His hand sheared off at the wrist. Baran stared at the stump, eyes wide. The lagged pain struck and he crumpled to the ground, howling.

"I’m bleeding, I’m bleeding!" he wailed, clamping his grip on the wrist in a frantic bid to staunch the flow.

My shadow loomed over him. I stood with my ice dagger in hand, the blade dripping with Baran’s blood.

I leveled the dagger at Baran’s head. He convulsed.

"You monster! Why did the queen give you magic? So you’re her lapdog now? Curse you, curse you!!!"

"At this point, it’s getting annoying. You all assume I drank of the dragon queen’s blood to awaken magic. No. Tell me. Can magic granted by the dragon queen compare to this?"

I unleashed my mana in a violent surge, thundering like raging flames. Blue light flooded the room, crushing the air around Baran.

He buckled under the pressure, teeth grinding, face forced toward the ground in a bow.

"Not even a drop of the queen’s blood have I drunk. Get that into your skull before you die."

I raised my dagger.

"Wait, wait, please, don’t kill me! I’ll give you anything—coins, horses, houses. Just spare my life."

I hesitated with the dagger, sparing the decapitating strike. Granting him this moment offered a new opportunity. Fear had already shattered his stubborn mask.

"Hmm."

I lowered the dagger.

"I want your position. Then maybe I’ll spare you."

"My position? You want to be the village chief? And a seat at the table? That’s impossible. I can’t just walk up to the council and ask them to replace me with you."

I maintained a bored gaze, staring down at Baran. Even at this desperate moment of his life he was still lying.

The Farmhills village chief is required by law to hold a seat at the council, due to the land the dragons occupy—which partly belongs to us. In fact, the position was naturally meant to fall to Lord Avant, my father. But he died.

"You can will your position as village chief. The council seat will follow once I’m chief."

"I can’t. Even if that’s possible, the people of the village have a say if you’re given the title of village chief."

"I already took care of that. You just do your part."

I stalked Baran from behind as we climbed the stairs back to his office. On entering, Bron remained frozen in place.

His eyes snapped to Baran’s missing hand—just a stump where it should have been. I had sealed it to staunch the blood loss, sustaining him long enough to write the will.

Baran snarled at the sight of Bron. He barged past, spewing curses.

I claimed a seat and lounged while Baran snatched up a parchment scroll and began inking his will on the desk, hand quivering.

He rolled the parchment.

"I’ve written the will. I’ll have it sent to the court by tomorrow. Now you can let me be, as you promised."

"I never promised. Are you trying to fool me?"

I stood.

"Give it to me."

"What?"

"You heard me. I won’t repeat myself."

Baran handed the parchment over. I seized it and flung it to Bron. He groped before securing his grip.

"Run straight to the court without turning back. If that will never reaches the court, I’ll find you."

I spoke icily, eyes locked on his. Bron bolted, clutching the parchment to his chest as if his life depended on it.

"What about me? What are you going to do now? I already did what you wanted. Let me be."

"No. You still have one more task."

Which is death.

Baran scrambled back until he slammed into his desk.

"What? You said you’d spare me if I made you village chief. What else do you want?"

"Technically I’m not yet village chief. And I didn’t promise. Besides, you need to be dead for the will to take effect."

"Wait, no—"

Baran thrust his hand up to stop me.

I whipped a crescent through the air. Ice sliced into his chest. He gurgled on his own blood, knees crumpling. He collapsed and lay motionless in a pool of his own blood.

I swept off my hat.

"Goodbye, Baran."

"Over here, over here!"

A voice drifted up from below, accompanied by pounding boots. A horde of guards poured into the compound, streaming through the door.

I braced my arms on the balcony rail and surveyed their numbers. Swords raised, shields ready, spears leveled at the door.

Their force was enough to mount a fight, yet not enough to overwhelm me. Still, battling them served no purpose.

I unfurled my wings. They tore through my garment, flesh fusing to bone as the dark wings fully manifested.

I spread my wings, planted myself on the rail to launch, when a guard’s gaze flicked upward.

"He’s above us!" he bellowed.

All the guards’ eyes locked on me. I yanked my hood to eclipse my face.

"Archers!"

They nocked their bows and aimed in my direction.

"Fire!"

Their commander roared the order without hesitation. Hundreds of arrows loosed toward me.