Chapter 49
The hours slowly ticked away as it got later into the night.
Draco remained seated on a chair in the corner of the common area, barely visible to most of the other patrons of the inn that came in late.
He had a lot to think about during that time.
Ever since the attack of the one-eyed black dragon, he sometimes had nightmares about it.
The scenes vividly replayed in his mind, rekindling the raw emotions he felt after realizing that his mother, father, grandparents, and teacher were killed by it.
Sometimes those emotions had threatened to consume him, but being surrounded by his siblings, he had managed to keep himself stable.
He also felt as though he hadn't gotten any stronger since that day.
He had not met any spirits again since then.
Undine had said that he wasn't yet strong enough to commune with them.
Over the past four years, he had honed his abilities and even discovered new ones, and yet he still didn't meet them again.
Did that mean that he hadn't gotten any stronger he often wondered.
Sometimes he even questioned if the dream he had then was actually real or it had just been a figment of his imagination, a way his mind used to help him cope with the loss.
Neigh!
Suddenly the neigh of the horses in the stable disrupted his inner musings.
'Have they come?' Draco wondered, getting up from his chair and walking outside towards the stables.
As he approached the stables, he noticed two suspicious-looking men lurking in the shadows.
They seemed to be carefully inspecting the area, occasionally glancing around to ensure they weren't being observed.
Draco recognized these men as the guild employees who had earlier that day inspected their carriage.
They had noticed the substantial amount of precious metals and gems being transported and didn’t report it.
They had seen it as an opportunity to line their own pockets, they had evidently decided to wait for the opportune moment to strike.
If they had reported it to the guild, the valuables would have been seized until an investigation was conducted.
This meant that they would have gained nothing.
They had assumed that since the owners were kids and new to the city, they were easy targets.
Draco decided to take a bold approach, purposefully allowing himself to be seen walking towards the stable.
‘It was too easy to spot them, and there doesn't appear to be anyone else hidden,’ he thought.
‘They are guild employees, not adventurers, so I cannot simply kill them here and be done with it. How troublesome.’ he pondered.
As Draco approached the stables, the two men silently followed, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth, or so they believed, as Draco did not seem to be reacting.
"Hmm, why were the horses being so loud?" Draco said aloud, while checking on the horses.
"Yawn, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong," he continued, pretending to be weary as he walked back towards the inn.
The two men did not take any action, and simply waited patiently for him to leave.
After Draco's departure, the two men cautiously peered into the dimly lit stable, their eyes scanning the area for Draco's carriage.
"There it is," one of the men, whispered, motioning to the familiar vehicle.
They quickened their pace, keeping their voices low to avoid detection.
Reaching the carriage, the men began to inspect it, searching for any signs of valuables.
One of the men, a burly individual with a thick beard, turned to his companion and whispered.
"The carriage is empty. All the luggage has been moved." he said.
The other man, a lean and shifty-eyed character, scratched his chin in contemplation.
"What the... where did they put the stuff?" the second man muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice.
The first man scratched his chin, thinking deeply.
"Perhaps they took it to their rooms. Or maybe the inn has a storage room for guests' belongings." he deduced.
They contemplated their options, aware that breaking into the inn or searching for the storage room would be a risky endeavor.
The possibility of encountering adventurers or other guests who might raise the alarm was not something they wanted to confront.
"We can't just leave empty-handed," the first man asserted, his greed clouding his better judgment.
The second man held up a hand, offering a more cautious approach.
"Hold on, we need to think this through. If we cause a commotion, it could draw unwanted attention. Those kids might be new to Orario, but that doesn't mean they're easy to deal with. Didn’t you see those crazy weapons they carried" he said.
Disappointment etched across the first man's face as he scowled, clearly displeased with the prospect of leaving without their intended haul.
"Then what do you suggest we do? We can't just let this opportunity slip away," he asked, his voice laced with frustration.
The second man considered their options carefully, weighing the risks and potential rewards.
After a moment of contemplation, he proposed a plan.
"Let's wait until morning. The inn will be busier, and we might be able to slip in and search for the storage room without drawing too much attention. If all goes well, we can get what we came for and be on our way before anyone notices by tomorrow night." he suggested.
The first man reluctantly agreed, his greed tempered by the need for caution.
"Alright, but we better not mess this up. I want to get our hands on those valuables. I am having my third kid, so I really need the money," he replied, trying to appeal to the second man's sympathy.
The second man, however, was not buying it.
"Quite lying, like you care about your kids. You're just going to gamble most of it away like always," he said, a hint of disdain in his voice.
The first man clicked his tongue in annoyance, realizing that his attempt to garner support had failed.
He was already planning to use this as an excuse later to try and get a higher share of the loot, but the second man had seen through his ploy.
Unbeknownst to the two men, Draco had been watching and listening from above, perched on the roof of the inn.
He had not actually gone back inside but had simply pretended to do so.
As he observed their conversation, a plan began to form in his mind.
'Hmm, what to do. They will be a bit troublesome if I don't do something now,' Draco wondered, his gaze narrowing as he considered his options.
With a decisive nod, Draco decided to follow the men and eliminate them before they could carry out their plan.
'I should probably follow them and kill them off far away from here. From their conversation, it seems they haven't told anyone about it, so all this should end tonight. Besides, they are thieves after my treasure, it's fair enough that they die for it, right?' he thought, his eyes glowing with a predatory gleam.
He had slowly been becoming more and more cold-blooded over the years, this was something he was subtly aware of.
As the two men slipped back into the shadows, Draco took to the air, his wings unfurling silently.
He trailed behind them, keeping a watchful eye on their every move, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
The men, unaware of Draco's presence, decided to head to a nearby tavern, seeking liquid courage to bolster their resolve.
Inside the dimly lit establishment, they ordered a round of strong ale, the amber liquid providing a familiar warmth as it burned down their throats.
"A few drinks should help calm our nerves before we make our move. We have the day off anyway, so it should be fine" the first man suggested, a sly grin on his face.
They had settled into a secluded corner, their voices lowered as they discussed their upcoming heist.
"Today was a huge waste of time," the first man growled, slamming his mug down on the wooden table.
"We should have struck while the iron was hot. Who knows if things will go as planned tomorrow?" he complained.
The second man considered his companion's words, swirling the remaining ale in his cup contemplatively.
"I know, I know. But we had to be careful. One wrong move and we could end up dead. Or worse, rotting in some cell." he replied.
The first man scoffed, draining the last of his drink.
"Bah, you worry too much. We've done this before. I bet if we take one of those kids hostage, the rest might just hand us the loot easily" he said.
“Watch your mouth, someone might be listening. We may be bottom level guild employees, but we still represent the guild” the second man whispered.
As the alcohol took effect, their inhibitions began to fade, and they started to boast about their sexual exploits.
"You know, I've always had a thing for those Amazonian beauties down in the red-light district," the first man slurred, his eyes glazing over with lust.
"I can't wait to have a little 'fun' with them after we've scored our loot." he said.
The second man chuckled, raising his mug in agreement.
"Ah, yes, those warrior women always know how to show a man a good time. Maybe we'll even get lucky and find a few willing to join us on our little adventure." he replied.
Draco, who had taken a seat in the shadows nearby, listened to their conversation while taking small sips from his mug.
He had no interest in the thieves' debauchery. He just wanted an opportunity to kill them off.
As their voices grew louder and their gestures more animated, the two men drew the curious glances of the other patrons in the tavern.
Eventually, they decided to continue their conversation elsewhere, away from prying eyes.
With unsteady steps, they made their way towards the outer layer of the red-light district, their minds already consumed by visions of the riches they hoped to obtain.
As they stumbled down the dimly lit streets, their drunken chatter remained being about the women they frequented in the area - the supple curves of their favourite women and the sultry gazes of the exotic dancers.
The first man boasted about his exploits, while the second man listened intently, nodding along with a lecherous grin.
Unbeknownst to the two men, Draco had been trailing them the entire time, his presence cloaked in the shadows.
Sensing an opportune moment, Draco silently pulled the two men into a nearby alley, away from the prying eyes of passersby.
The road they were currently on was filled with many dark alleys and most of the people still on the street at such a late hour in the night, were mostly drunk people.
The men, caught off guard, barely had time to react before Draco struck, his claws slicing through their throats in a swift, precise motion.
He had coated his claws with wind magic which increased sharpness, he wanted the wound to look like a sword wound.
The men gurgled and choked, their eyes wide with terror as they stared into the glowing red reptilian eyes of their assailant.
Draco watched impassively as the life drained from their bodies, the blood seeping into the hole he hand made with earth magic.
He didn’t want their blood to spill into the street.
Once the last breath had left their lips, Draco closed the hole and checked the surrounding to make sure that it was clear.
He then unfurled his wings and took to the sky, quickly returning to the inn to get some rest before the morning.
There, he settled into slumber, his mind already focused on the next task at hand.