Chapter 648: A hidden mouse
The sun had already begun to set behind the scorched hills when Hadrian appeared, walking toward the square where Strax surveyed the ruins of Kaelthur. The rchant was sweaty and his clothes were stained with dust, but there was a flicker of satisfaction in his expression—behind him, parked in a narrow street, was what remained of his carriage.
It wasn’t the sa luxurious masterpiece that had once carried spices, fabrics, and rare wines. Now, the vehicle looked like a survivor: half new wood, half old; wheels reinforced with rusted iron scavenged from destroyed gates; the sides decorated not with exquisite carvings but with plates of salvaged tal. Still, it was a carriage. A symbol of continuity amidst ruin.
Hadrian stopped in front of Strax, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. “I did it,” he said, his pride unmistakable. “It’s not pretty, it’s not fast… but it will take to the capital.”
Strax let out a soft, guttural sound, almost a laugh. The dragon, in its human form, crossed its arms as it stared at the makeshift carriage. “It doesn’t matter what it looks like,” it replied. “If it moves, it serves its purpose.”
Hadrian nodded, but his smile faded as he sighed. “Still… it will take ti. The road to the capital has never been easy, and without the right horses, I’ll have to improvise with what’s left of the stables. It might take weeks.”
Strax looked away at the dead city around them. The streets still slled of ash and smoke, and the once-proud walls were pockmarked with cracks and holes. A few survivors walked here and there, gathering what they could, but silence prevailed.
“Take your ti, Hadrian,” the dragon said finally. His voice was firm but calm, as if each word carried a decision already made. “There’s no rush. Now that plans have changed… Kaelthur needs roots before we can think of wings.” Hadrian looked at him in surprise. “Plans changed?” he asked, frowning. “I thought you were going with , straight to the capital.”
Strax shook his head slowly, as if weighing old mories and recent resolutions. “I thought so too,” he admitted. “But traveling to the capital now… would just be another blind step on a chessboard I barely understand.” He gestured to the ruins around him. “This place, Hadrian, has shown sothing. Before I leave, I need to learn. I need to understand how this world shapes itself… how it breathes. And there’s nothing better than starting with sothing I can rebuild with my own hands.”
Hadrian listened silently, but his eyes reflected a mixture of admiration and apprehension.
“So… you’re staying?” he asked finally. “Will you try… to rebuild Kaelthur?”
Strax nodded. “Yes. I’ll make it a stronghold. A starting point. A place that proves it’s possible to build sothing lasting amidst chaos.” Hadrian took a deep breath, and his expression softened. He walked a few steps, until he was beside Strax, and looked at the still-smoldering rubble. “You know… this city was my ho for many years. Every stone, every corner… holds a mory. It was here that I closed my first important contract. It was here that I t people who changed my life. I saw Kaelthur flourish, Strax. And I also saw it burn.” His voice wavered for a mont, but quickly regained its firmness. “If you’re truly going to care for her… that gives hope.”
Strax looked away, his golden eyes reflecting the distant fires of a few still-embered houses. “I don’t promise miracles,” he said. “But I promise to do my best.”
Hadrian smiled faintly, though there was a shadow in his eyes. “That’s all I can ask.”
There was a brief silence, broken only by the wind stirring dust among the broken stones. Then Hadrian resud speaking:
“As soon as I reach the capital, I will et with my family. They have influence, resources… and, above all, warehouses full of supplies. I will send so of it here. Food, tools, even so workers, if I can convince them.”
Strax lifted his chin, considering the promise. “That will help. Kaelthur needs new blood… hands to build walls, and mouths to fill the markets again.”
Hadrian laughed softly, but without mirth. “Markets… it will be a while before we see anything like that. But, yes, it can be done.”
He then placed his hand on Strax’s shoulder, a rare gesture from a rchant always so polite and calculating. “While I’m gone, I entrust this city to you. Take care of it as if it were your own.”
Strax didn’t move for a few seconds, just watching that firm hand on him. There was weight in the gesture, a weight that ca not from strength, but from confidence.
“I don’t know if this city will accept a dragon as its guardian,” he said finally, with a slight, predatory smile. “But, like it or not… Kaelthur will be mine while you’re gone.”
Hadrian smiled back. “Then she’ll be in good hands.”
They stared at each other, complicit in an unwritten pact, yet as solid as the iron of the walls once was.
Ti seed to stretch in that silent square, and every detail seed more striking: the distant sound of hamring as survivors tried to rebuild a ho; the rustle of burned flags in the wind; the orange light of dusk reflecting off the cracked stones.
Finally, Hadrian withdrew his hand and straightened his clothes. “I need to rest tonight and leave at dawn.”
“Go,” Strax said. “And don’t look back. I’ll take care of what’s left.”
Hadrian walked to the carriage, eyeing it carefully. He ran his hand over the reinforced wood, as if caressing a healing wound. He climbed in, adjusting the makeshift reins he would use on the emaciated horses he had managed to save.
But before leaving, he turned one last ti to Strax. “Don’t let Kaelthur fade away, Strax. Not after everything.”
Strax remained still, but his voice held the firmness of a promise. “As long as I breathe, she will live.”
Hadrian nodded. There were no more words to say.
The rchant then pulled on the reins, making the horses take a hesitant step, then another, until the carriage began to move. The sound of the creaking wheels echoed through the square, mixed with the rustling of the wind.
Strax watched until Hadrian’s figure was lost among the broken streets and half-destroyed gates. Only then did he close his eyes for a mont, breathing deeply of the ash-laced air.
“You changed your plans, why?” Scarlet arrived, smiling after seeing the carriage disappear.
“I noticed a few… things,” he said, looking at a forge. “We have a rat well hidden there.” He said, glancing sideways.
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