Eccar finally wake up from his sleep, eyes fluttering open as golden morning light spilled through the arched window of the chamber prepared for him.
It had been a deep and undisturbed sleep, a good sleep. Despite the quiet tension that lingered just beyond the room's threshold. He sat up slowly, stretching his arms and letting out a relaxed sigh, the warmth of the sun brushing his tan skin.
He knew there were multiple guards stationed outside. He heard their armor clinking quietly from ti to ti, and subtle threads of Magic woven around the chamber's walls. They were wards, barriers, probably a detection spell or two.
It was precaution, of course. He didn't bla them. They were afraid of what he was and what he could do. And truthfully… it was wise of them.
At least, with these asures in place, the human could feel sowhat secure. It was a silent agreent: they pretended they had control, and Eccar pretended not to mind. That way, no one had to feel guilty or anxious about the arrangent.
Still, he found it mildly amusing. If he truly wished to break out, there was nothing they could do to stop him.
He got up, adjusted the clothes given to him the day before, then walked calmly to the door. With a casual knock, he signaled the guards.
The door opened a mont later with a low creak. One of the guards—a tall man with silver armor and a stoic face—stood in the doorway. His expression was sharp and his gaze was cold. But Eccar could see the faint tension in his posture and the flicker of unease in his eyes.
They know the stories, Eccar thought. Adrius must've told them everything. About what he is and what he'd done.
Another guard stood behind the first, and a third near the hallway. All of them stiff and professional, but not as calm as they tried to look.
The lead guard's voice ca, clipped and wary. "What do you want?"
"I want to eat breakfast in the market," Eccar replied with a wide, disarming smile. "Let try this kingdom's cuisine."
The guards glanced at each other. The leader's jaw tightened. "You can't go out."
"Why not?" Eccar asked, tilting his head slightly.
"It's the King's order," the lead guard said, voice firr now. "You're in our kingdom, and you must obey our rules."
Eccar let out a soft chuckle, stepping just a little closer to the doorway. The air seed to grow heavier around him—not out of intent, but simply because of what he was.
"Co on now. It's not like I'm going to destroy your kingdom. I just want to eat breakfast. Try sothing new. That's all."
The lead guard stiffened. He swallowed hard, clearly unnerved. Eccar's tone was still casual, even friendly—but there was weight behind it. The kind of weight that reminded them he wasn't just a guest.
He was a Dragonborn. A creature shaped by battle and death.
"I… I will ask the King's permission," the guard said, a crack in his voice betraying the fear he tried so hard to suppress.
"Good." Eccar gave a friendly nod, then closed the door with a light push, leaving the guards to scurry about with their growing unease.
Inside the chamber once more, Eccar sighed and stretched again.
"I hope they have good food," he muttered to himself with a grin. "I've earned it."
Sowhere beyond the palace walls, the city of the human kingdom shimred in morning calm. And he was hungry.
---
The lead guard moved quickly through the palace halls as he made his way to the throne room. Tension weighed heavy on his shoulders. He wasn't afraid of facing the king but reporting anything that involved the Dragonborn always ca with a certain weight. It wasn't every day that you had to keep a mythical being entertained before breakfast.
When he reached the room, he was granted entrance without delay. King Aethor sat near the tall, arched window, still dressed in his morning robe, though the sharpness in his gaze suggested he'd already begun reviewing matters of the day.
He looked up from a scroll as the guard entered.
"Your majesty," the guard said, bowing slightly. "The Dragonborn requests to leave the palace. He says he wishes to eat breakfast in the market."
King Aethor exhaled heavily, setting the scroll aside. He rubbed his temples for a mont, then leaned back in his chair, the morning light catching the silver in his beard.
"Of course he does," the king muttered to himself. Then, louder: "He is allowed to go out. But not alone. He will have a guide."
He turned toward a servant standing nearby. "Tell Mark to get ready."
The servant bowed and quickly left the room without a word.
The lead guard hesitated for a mont, then spoke up. "Mark, Your Majesty? You're assigning him to this?"
"Yes," King Aethor said without hesitation. "He's one of the strongest adventurers in this kingdom. More importantly, he's the one most capable of working with without letting his ego get in the way. If Eccar wants to taste our food, then Mark will make sure he doesn't also taste half the city's panic."
The guard nodded firmly. "Understood, Your Majesty. I will return and inform him imdiately."
King Aethor didn't respond, rely waving a hand in dismissal as he turned back toward the docunts on his desk, his mind already shifting toward the next dozen problems awaiting his judgnt.
The guard gave one last bow and turned on his heel, making his way swiftly back through the halls.
There were a few things that had been bothering him lately. They didn't seem like major problems on the surface, but sohow, his intuition warned him otherwise.
Several criminals who had recently been released from prison had begun to disappear one by one. Naturally, no one paid much attention to it—after all, they were criminals. They might have fled to another city or been killed by their rivals. Just the usual things that happened in that world.
But strangely, all of it occurred at specific intervals. Reports stated that they vanished during the full moon each month.
That… was what worried the king.
---
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