The Dragon Heir Chapter 9: Kidnapped

The day was dreadfully humdrum, as it happened. It was Selene Day, which ant no Alchemy classes for poor old . Instead, it was the usual drudgery of spell craft theories. When lunchti finally rolled around, I realised I'd not brought a morsel with . I figured, if anything significant were to happen, it could jolly well occur at any ti. So, why bother? A lapse in judgnt, perhaps.

My stomach let out a rather disagreeable grumble. Clearly, the morning's soup and bread were insufficient. Maybe a pit stop at the market stalls on the way ho would be in order. I had plenty of allowance left, even after splurging on those alchemy ingredients yesterday.

Nevertheless, I made my way to the Great Hall, where students congregated to enjoy their lunch break, rrily chattering away with their friends. The hall was abuzz with activity, the scent of various als mingling in the air, laughter echoing off the stone walls. It wasn't like I was there for the camaraderie. Friends were a luxury I didn't possess. My sole intent was to eavesdrop, to catch wind of any rumours that might be swirling about.

I didn't have to twiddle my thumbs for long. The whole town was abuzz, practically bursting at the seams with chatter. Everyone seed to have their knickers in a twist, and I could feel a trickle of sweat starting to form on my brow.

"Of course, it's got to be a demon!"

"My father reckons soone opened the gates of hell."

"I doubt it was hell—my brother's a guard in Alcor! It was an AstralBeast!"

"No, no, no! I'm telling you, it must be sothing from beyond the Parda. Hell isn't even in the realms Parda governs!"

They were all on their own peculiar tangents, each theory more outrageous than the last, but one thing was clear: they knew soone had tampered with Parda and perford a summoning. That was enough for to realise my ritual hadn't been as secret as I'd hoped.

Judging by the way everyone was carrying on, it was a top-tier threat. Hence the influx of Inquisitors and Adventurers from Alcor. So, all those people I'd seen milling about the market square were actually here because of my little midnight mischief.

Was this it then? Was I about to be nabbed and carted off to so dreary dungeon in the capital? Bliy, that was a terrifying prospect. But it didn't seem like anyone was on to just yet.

I'd better tell Barn to stay hidden. If anyone high up caught even a whiff of his power, we'd be in deep trouble. Lotte had warned , mana and chaos have distinct properties and signatures, after all.

I needed to play it cool. So, I made my way back to the classroom. Just an ordinary, magicless girl with absolutely nothing to do with the bizarre summoning in the forest last night!

The school day andered along like a sluggish river, my nerves jangling and perspiration flowing like the Thas. Thankfully, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred. No one swooped in to accuse of heresy or cart off. Not a soul even acknowledged my existence, which was a small blessing.

Elise and her rry band of miscreants seed to have taken the day off from tornting . Maybe they felt a pang of rcy after yesterday's antics. But then, the mory of those slimy stains on my seat and my mysteriously vanished bag soured my stomach. It wouldn't do to get complacent. Vigilance was my only friend until I was safely beyond the school gates.

As soon as the final bell tolled, I was off like a shot, darting through the halls and out into freedom. My stomach reminded with a growl that sustenance was needed. The market lay conveniently along my route ho, so I made a beeline for it.

The bustling stalls ca into view, alive with their usual energy. I had my heart set on so garlic butter roasted mushrooms today. The very thought of their rich, savoury taste made my mouth water, and I hastily wiped the drool away with my sleeve. I spotted the stall and made my way towards it.

Just then, a grip like a vice clamped down on . I hadn't even clocked the narrow alley next to the stall until it was too late. A hand, as unyielding as iron, gagged my mouth, while another latched onto my arm, yanking into the shadows. I thrashed, tried to scream, anything—but his strength was sothing else entirely. Must be a higher-core warrior.

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Sothing tickled my wrist. Three clacks of a skeletal jaw echoed. Barn. The question was simple.

"Kill?"

I gave a slow shake of my head, hoping Barn could see it. Whatever this man was up to, he hadn't actually hurt . Yet. But I had no clue where he was taking .

Barn must've got the ssage because my captor didn't drop dead on the spot. Still, I had to act, get so intel. Without a second thought, I bit down on the hand silencing with all the force my jaw could muster. A startled yelp escaped him as he flung away like an unwanted doll.

The force of it was like being hit by a runaway Manaroe. But just as I was about to crash into the wall, an invisible cushion of force stopped , turning what could've shattered ribs into a harmless thud.

"Blasted harlot!" he bellowed with a deep voice.

Finally, I got a good look at him. The man was clad in black plate armour, his face obscured by a plain black mask etched with peculiar carvings. Tall and imposing, he seed even more formidable encased in that armour. His movents were deliberate; clearly, this wasn't his first foray into roughhousing. The armour, while a tad scuffed, glead with the polish of ticulous care.

He now inspected the wound on his hand where my teeth had found purchase. I watched, bemused, as the bleeding ceased and the flesh knit itself back together. Though his mask betrayed no emotion, I could feel his ire simring beneath it.

"Well, that was quite the spectacle," I quipped, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Barn was with , so I ought to be brimming with confidence. Still, I was sweating buckets while putting on a façade of invulnerability as I stood up and flashed him a cheeky grin. "Fancy telling where you're taking ?"

The man tilted his head slightly, silent for a mont, perhaps surprised that I was standing so sprightly after the wallop he'd given . Though I still couldn't see his expression, the carvings on his mask lent him an almost eerie appearance. "You've got so nerve, little abomination." He took a step closer, his armoured boots clanking on the floor. "Tell , do you know why I've brought you here?"

I sure didn't. But I knew he wasn't here to punish for my ritual fiasco. Their arrest would have been rather official. No, this was sothing else. And the way he used the word 'abomination.' Why did I have a bad feeling about it all.

"Well, it wasn't for the delightful conversation, I presu," I drawled, trying to keep my tone light. "So, why don't you enlighten ?"

He didn't seem to be keen on that. "Information told us of a ek little half beastie. Seed like that wasn't the case. Different, quite feisty at that."

"Feisty, am I?" I chuckled, "One does try. But really, what's the ga here? Dragging to this dreary place only to stand around in that ghastly armour, tossing out vague threats?"

He didn't even acknowledge my words, and his tone was dreadfully condescending, the sort of way one addresses an errant child. "Hmm, snapping a few of your bones wouldn't be too much trouble if it shuts that foul mouth of yours."

That was quite the miscalculation on his part. Screaming louder tends to follow pain! Well, blow down, this was not going to plan. However, I did glean so insights from his ramblings. Firstly, this wasn't a random ransom job; he had prior information on . Secondly, he used 'they,' so he wasn't acting alone. Were his cohorts nearby?

"I would think twice before doing anything hasty." Perhaps not the best choice of words, as he vanished in a blink and I felt a hand clamp around my throat. The grip should have been bone-crushing, yet a thin veil of energy cushioned his hold.

He paused, trying to tighten his grip, but it didn't work. It was increasingly vexing not to see his expression. How else could I gauge his thoughts?

I stared him down and flashed a grin, hoping for a reaction.

What I didn't anticipate was the sudden appearance of a dagger.

My grin vanished. "What the devil are you playing at?"

"You're a magicless freak. I don't know what trickery you're using. An artefact, perhaps? That would explain why you were unscathed when I tossed you earlier." He started slashing through my clothes. "Where are you hiding it?"

"Stop it! You bloody bastard! What do you think you're accomplishing? I don't have any artefact!"

But he didn't cease his prying. His knife continued its little dance, incessant, as he scoured for that blasted artifact that didn't exist. But then, his blade grazed my skin, drawing a trifling trickle of blood from my torso.

In that very instant, the air turned frightfully cold. I knew Barn had a true form, vastly different from the scrawny serpent he usually appeared as, one I had glimpsed in a dream when Lotte had confronted him. I could sense the ominous shadow looming behind once more. The sa colossal, foreboding figure. Sothing in my very marrow whispered that I absolutely did not want to turn and face him in this guise.

The blighter halted his frenzied carving and looked past . He froze on the spot. No, not quite; his hands were trembling ever so slightly, the knife poised in mid-air, as if he couldn't muster the will to move it an inch further.

There ca three slow, sinister clacks from behind . And then, just like that, the fellow was no more. Vanished where he stood, it all transpired in a re blink of an eye. One mont he was there, the next, only his hand remained, hanging grotesquely near my throat, while the rest of him vanished entirely. Not even afforded the courtesy of a scream. The stone floor beneath bore witness to a different story that might haunt my coming thoughts, stained red like so peculiar herbal paste, with a few crimson droplets even besmirching my clothes.

For a mont, I was completely gobsmacked. The shadow behind disappeared just as Barn scampered over my wrist. I glanced at him; his painted eyes were wide, clearly begging for so form of praise. Three spine-chilling clacks echoed as he snapped his jaw.

'Did I do well?'

I didn't answer. My gaze was fixed on the crimson sar on the pavent, struggling to suppress the reality of what had just occurred. I had always told him not to kill anyone unless they actually hard , but the instant the knife drew blood, the condition was t.

Still in a daze, I gave Barn a thumbs up. I wasn't sure why; it just felt right to acknowledge a Gold Rank for looking out for .

But I didn't have ti to ponder it further, as I heard footsteps approaching from the distance.

"Oh, bollocks. Barn! Quick, do sothing about..." I gestured to the street, "whatever's left of him."

Three more clacks of his jaw, and the man's remains turned into fine stardust and vanished. Even the few droplets that had stained my clothes disappeared, along with all the dirt and gri, leaving both the street and my attire suspiciously spotless.

A man erged from the back of the abandoned alleyway, sporting a similar black mask and armour as the previous one.

What the hell was happening?