Awakening Of Magic

🌄🔆 Chapter 3 🔆🌄

Maxim pulled the humans to their feet and bound their hands. As he started tying the rope, Alexan tried to resist.

"Woah, absolutely not! Listen here you s-"

Aurelia bumped their shoulder. "Alex! Don't."

They bit their lip so hard, the brunette thought it would bleed, but they stopped resisting.

Once they were secure, he flicked dark hair away from his eyes and reached for Aurelia's earring. "Imagine the bounty I can get for two humans and this gold," he smirked.

Alexan pushed between them. "Hands off, beastie! Where on Earth are we?!"

The drahke raised a brow. "I know not of Earth. This is Sarana. Outside elf country."

"Sarana?" Aurelia zoned out for a moment as Alexan shouted, recalling a sad lullaby her grandmother had sung for her. Suddenly all of the bedtime stories felt like they could have happened in a place like this. With creatures like him. "...Could Gran have been telling stories of Sarana all along?"

Realising their friend's lack of concern at being harassed, Alexan pursed their lips. "Girl, what the hell are you mumbling about your grandma for? You don't think- she made you wait to inherit... the estate until you were older... and asked me to go with you before she died. Oh my god..."

Brown eyes locked with green as the pieces fell together.

The monster huffed and tugged on the rope. "I don't know what in the dank ferrik you're rambling about but I'm done with it. Move it."

Alexan tugged back in annoyance. "Jerk..."

He ignored them, and Aurelia stared at the scales on his red and black wings, some gleaming in the dim forest light, others scarred and chipped. "...We told you what we are. Won't you tell us what you are? And where we are?"

"Hmph. Didn't you just say 'gran' told you stories? I'm a drahke. Fire affinity. And I am a bounty hunter about to make a score so big I can stay in a Gadurian cave palace for the next ten years undisturbed. So keep walking, human."

Fortunately his camp was not far away, but the two still had to catch their breath from the punishing pace he'd set.

Leaving them outside, Maxim went into his tent, bringing out a badly damaged crystal ball. His prisoners watched with wide eyes as the reflection of the glow cast a violet hue over his wings. Through the cracks and jagged crystalline breaks, a green face could barely be discerned.

"Q'inde. Come appraise my newest bounty."