Chapter 14
The exotic slave traders, a hardy group of mostly level 1 adventurers who were cast out of their familia's for one reason or another.
They traveled the land in search of exotic species of people to sell.
Sometimes they bought people legitimately as slave trade wasn’t exactly banned everywhere or they simply kidnapped them if they thought the money was worth the risk.
On this particular day they had caught not one but two exotic Demi-humans who were going to be worth a lot.
It took them a year of intricate planning before they found an opening to catch one of their targets.
Initially when they sneaked into the village not expecting anything.
They soon discovered the existence of Vasileios, Draco, and Vasiliki from a talkative villager, but those exotic children were grandchildren of some pretty nasty strong adventurers.
After making some inquiries about the risk and the gains, a buyer offered an amount they couldn’t refuse. It was enough money for all of them to retire and more.
So they had to find an opening to get at least one of the children. But somehow they were lucky to get two, Vasileios and Draco.
Who would have thought that one of the children was a monster.
……………………………………………………….
The men closest to the cage that held Draco and Vasileios were caught off guard when they witnessed Draco’s sudden transformation.
They watched in horror as his small frame began to shift and contort.
His delicate features morphed into a reptilian visage, complete with sharp fangs and gleaming black scales.
Claws erupted from his fingertips as his body elongated, a barbed tail swishing behind him.
The iron chains that held him shattered like they were made of wood.
Draco let out a menacing growl, his ruby-red eyes narrowing as he surveyed the group.
The location of each member, their number, their weapons, and reactions were all within his sight.
He then grabbed the bars of the cage and pried it open with ease then stepped out and sealed the cage shut.
“Sniff! Nii” Vasileios hesitantly called out to his brother.
“Close your eyes and ears” Draco instructed, no commanded.
Vasileios did as his brother had instructed, he was afraid but believed that his brother wouldn’t hurt him.
‘Ahh, what is this intoxicating feeling, my mind feels like its slipping away’ Draco thought as he was having a hard time thinking straight.
Logic dictated that he simply carried Vasileios and ran, he didn’t know how long his current state would last nor could he control it.
But, running away from those who tried to enslave him felt extremely revolting.
His instincts had already judged the strength of each of his opponents and determined that he could win.
That was why he didn’t get any danger warnings from his instincts.
Draco suddenly let out a guttural snarl, his sharp claws flexing in anticipation.
With a sinister grin, he flicked his tail, knocking over a stack of potion crates, scattering their contents across the forest floor.
“Bloody hell, it’s some kind of demon!” a slave trader cried out, fumbling for his weapon.
“Kill it before it kills us!” another slave trader yelled.
The slave traders that were currently within their camp rushed to arm themselves, but Draco wasn’t just going to watch.
With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, his sharp claw slashing across the chest of the nearest slave trader.
The man screamed in agony as blood sprayed from the deep gashes, staining the ground crimson.
Draco’s mind had turned into a maelstrom of rage and primal instincts.
He currently didn’t understand the concept of mercy.
All he knew now was that his enemies should be incapacitated, even better eliminated.
As the wounded slave trader stumbled backwards, Draco whirled around, his tail lashing out and striking another slave trader square in the chest.
The man was sent flying, slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.
“Damn you, beast!” one of the traders yelled, drawing his sword. He charged at Draco, his blade glinting in the moonlight.
Draco crouched low, then sprung forward, his powerful jaw clamping on the slave trader's sword arm.
The man howled in pain as Draco’s teeth sank deep into his flesh, the bone crunching under the pressure.
Draco shook his head violently, ripping out flesh from bone and then spitting it out.
The man collapsed to the ground, clutching the base of the wound in agony.
“Shoot the darn thing!” the slave trader at the furthest distance yelled, leveling his crossbow at Draco.
The bolt flew through the air, but Draco’s enhanced senses, reflexes, and small size saved him.
He twisted and turned, the bolts grazing his scales harmlessly.
Draco could currently sense the presence of the elements around him.
He could see four distinct colors within himself, red, blue, green, and brown, each representing the four basic elements, fire, water, earth, and wind.
Draco wanted a means to attack the crossbow wielder in the distance.
So he redirected the red element within himself, opening his jaw and unleashing a torrent of searing flame, engulfing the hapless crossbow wielder in a blaze of heat and light.
The man’s agonized shrieks along with the smell of cooked meat filled the air as he was consumed by the dragon's elemental breath.
Draco felt a bit drained after unleashing such an attack, but there were still enemies left to deal with.
The remaining slave traders were now in panic, their initial bravado shattered by the intensity of Draco’s attack.
They scrambled to regroup, firing crossbow bolts, hurling daggers, and poison at the small demon before them.
One of the slave traders soon noticed that Draco always seemed to lead attacks against him away from the cage that previously held him.
Despite his rampage, Draco was still subconsciously aware of his brother.
No, he currently couldn’t distinguish such a thing, a thought had simply been implanted in his mind. ‘Protect the cage’.
Upon noticing this, the woman sneakily went around Draco as her colleagues were being slaughtered.
This was the woman that caught both of them.
She thought that taking Vasileios hostage would be her means of survival.
Sadly for her, she couldn’t escape Draco’s senses.
As soon as Draco noticed her objective, he dashed for the woman, ignoring the attack from the others.
Draco then jumped and landed on the woman, in recognition and rage he pried open her jaw, took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of flames into her mouth.
The sound of sizzling and charring flesh echoed through the area.
The other traders watched in horror as their comrade's head was reduced to smoldering ashes.
“Maker’s breath, what is this thing?” One of them cried out, his voice trembling.
With a flick of his tail, he lashed out at another trader, the razor-sharp scales slicing through the man's abdomen.
Intestines spilled out onto the forest floor as the trader let out a gurgling scream.
The remaining traders were in full retreat now, their nerves shattered by the ferocity of Draco's assault.
They ran in a panic, crashing through the underbrush in a desperate attempt to escape the small dragon's wrath.
Them fleeing only served to fuel Draco's predatory instincts.
He pursued them, his small legs propelling him forward with each stride.
As one of the traders stumbled and fell, Draco was upon him in an instant.
He sank his teeth into the man's neck, tearing out a gaping wound as blood sprayed in all directions.
The trader gurgled and choked, his life slipping away as Draco continued his savage assault.
The small dragon stood over his last victim, chest heaving, his black scales gleaming in the moonlight.
He let out a triumphant roar, a primal display of his dominance.
Only one slave trader remained, cowering in the shadows, his weapon trembling in his hands.
"Please, I beg you, spare me!" he pleaded, his voice quivering.
Draco turned his attention to the final man, his crimson eyes narrowing. The trader's fear was palpable, and Draco could sense it.
With a slow, deliberate movement, he stalked towards the man, his claws scraping against the forest trees.
The trader scrambled backwards, his back pressed against a tree trunk.
"No, no, please, I'll leave, I swear! I'll never come back!" he cried, his words tumbling out in a desperate torrent.
Draco paused, his head tilted slightly to the side as he considered the trader's pleas.
Deep within his reptilian mind, a glimmer of reason flickered.
These vile people had imprisoned him, and they had to be punished.
But perhaps this one, this cowardly creature, could be spared.
With a low growl, Draco turned and retreated back into the forest, disappearing into the shadows.
The lone trader sat there, trembling, his eyes wide with terror.
He knew he had been granted a rare reprieve, and he wasted no time in gathering his fallen comrades' weapons and fleeing the scene, vowing never to return.