The dragon's harem

The sun fell behind the mountains and Arad stood outside beside a carriage, looking into the city as the girls approached him with Ann tagging along. The carriage beside him was made of wood and armored with several steel plates that he asked the local blacksmith to make.

Strangely enough, it didn’t have any horses or monsters to draw it. It even lacked the attachment arms for that. Arad looked at his hand, he could feel a tingle on his fingertips, a faint cold at the bottom of his back, and a slight fog clouding his mind.

“It’s already starting…” He mumbled and looked at them, “Hurry! We can’t waste time.” He called to them and they started walking faster. As Mesharra threw her large bag in the back she looked at Arad, “Are you sure about this? Is it even safe?”

“We don’t have another choice so it’s not a matter of it being safe or not. It’s a matter if we can make it work or not.” He looked behind Mesharra and saw Mary looking a bit worried. “Don’t worry, you won’t feel any pain if you die by falling from the sky. You’ll just splatter like a tomato.”

“But I’ll know it’s coming…that would be scary.” Mary replied and Arad looked at Ann, “Are you scared as well?”

“I’m more worried about you. Your hands are shaking.” Seeing her face being a bit pale Arad knew she wasn’t joking. “Don’t worry, you might not believe me, but the world would burn down before I go mad. It’s just that you can’t be both a vampire and a werewolf at the same time. Those two curses will slowly overload the body and kill it.”

“That’s just as bad.” She looked back at Echidna, “Can’t that witch do anything?”

“It’s not as simple as it seems, I’ve told that yesterday.” Echidna replied with a smile.

“So you’re useless. Mesharra was right.” Ann pouted and Echidna glared at Mesharra, “You! What are you teaching the little girl?!”

Arad giggled, “Stop fighting. We really should go, it’ll take us about a week, but we’ll be able to make it, barely.”

Everyone got inside the carriage and Arad jumped on top, extending his vampire wings. The muscles from the werewolf curse empowered his wings so he could carry more, using all of his power he started flapping his wings, flying up with the whole carriage.

The current plan was simple, from all the material that Echidna needed to try and stop Arad’s curses from killing him there was something called the scales of the deep snail. That item can only be harvested from the sea monster known as the deep snail.

Getting it fresh would greatly increase Echidna’s success chances and so they decided to dash to the capital. That trip would usually take a year by carriage, but Arad judged by how fast he could fly using both curses, he should be able to barely make the trip in a single week. The fact that Akasha’s blood isn’t affected by the sun was a blessing that he didn’t expect but appreciated a lot as without this stunt would be impossible.

Arad is now on a timer, his body is starting to crumble beneath the curses’ weights and he must get treated as soon as possible.

Arad flew into the sky with the carriage and blasted away toward the capital. The trip did take a whole week with them only stopping once every five hours for a short break. Before anyone knew it, they were landing at the edge of the capital.

So they won’t speak to anyone, Arad entered the carriage and Plum went outside, growing an attachment for horses, and called some animals from the forest to draw the carriage. Arad was exhausted and had already lost more than half of his muscle mass so he immediately closed his eyes to take a nap.

“REALLY! I’ve only heard about them in stories!” Ann’s excited cry woke him up. “You never see a deer or a moose?” He mumbled, turning his eyes out. For a moment, his eyeballs almost flew out of their sockets. Plum was tying two unicorns to the front of the carriage to draw it.

“Where did you find those two?! Put them back!” He extended his head out and yelled at Plum. The two unicorns looked back at him, “You bastard! Do you have a problem with us?!” One growled.

“Yeah! And we are nice enough to draw a carriage carrying filthy humans and a monster like you! Is that how you treat those who extend a helping hand?” The other unicorn added.

“Yeah! I have a big problem with you.” Arad shouted back at the two, “Do you want to cause a fuss at the capital? You’ll draw too much attention to us and to yourselves, or are you two fine with hunters raiding the forest to hunt you?”

“Let them try, I shoved up my horn in them more times than I can remember.” One of the two unicorns replied with a smug smile.

“Arad, those two are old friends of mine. It’s been a few years since I last saw them so they wanted to help when they saw me.” Plum flew to him and the two unicorns gasped the moment they heard his name.

“Arad? Arad Orion?” One of them rushed toward Plum, “You said you’re traveling with a VIP?”

“He’s the very important person, Arad Orion.” Plum replied with a stupid smile.

“I thought it was some kind of elvish prince or prestigious human or witch…” He sighed, “Should’ve told us. Fine, we’ll do as he says.”

“We’ve got those.” Plum pointed inside the carriage, “A high priestess of Yog, Inquisitor Mesharra, and the witch Echidna.”

“By the rainbow puke of the leprechaun king!” He looked at the forest, “I’ll get some wild horses to help, would that be okay?”

“Yeah, I appreciate it.” Arad sighed, “And sorry for earlier, didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Don’t mind it. We’re glad to have been able to help.” The two unicorns returned to the forest and soon sent two powerful wild horses to draw the carriage.

Arad’s carriage strolled into the city, thanks to Mesharra they were able to enter unchecked and finally registered at a decent inn close to the plaza. While Echidna went out shopping, Mary and Ann went to get some stuff while Mesharra went to get some information from the local guards.

Plum was getting ready to escort the horses outside the capital’s walls and saw Arad wearing his boots. “Shouldn’t you rest?”

“I don’t feel like it.” He replied, “I’m going for a walk.” He stood and left.

Plum shook her head and flew out of the window, heading to take care of the horses.

As Arad walked out of the room he saw a woman cleaning beside the door. She was tall, wearing a brown tunic, and held a mop, cleaning the floor. He stopped and looked at her for a second, “You there.” He called.

“Yes, master?” She turned toward him and smiled, bowing a bit, “I don’t have time for this. Your technique is shit.”

She looked around, confused, “I’m sure I’ve cleaned everything well.”

“Come with me if you want to remain alive.” He started walking and she sighed, following him down to the basement. “No chance…” She sighed right before closing the basement door. Arad walked out alone just a few seconds later and headed out as if nothing happened. Arad’s stroll led him straight into the castle’s draw bridge where two guards were standing there. One looked and saw Arad wearing his long cloak, approaching slowly like a ghost. He pointed his spear, “Excuse me, citizen. Do you have any business in the castle? If you’re here to get a tour, sorry, come back tomorrow.”

The castle’s garden and some inner chambers seem to be open to the public to explore as long as they are accompanied by the guards. Apparently, a lot of tourists are willing to pay a lot of money to have a tour inside the castle and the king was quick to capitalize on that, monetizing the guarded tours to get the castle and extra income.

Last year, the tours alone gave more than half the capital’s tax income. That alone allowed the king to pay the guards, renovate the old parts of the castle, get some fancy new weapons, several siege weapons, jewelry for the queens, a whole mansion, and have some change left to give the guards a raise to make them happy.

“Drop the bridge, I came to meet someone that works inside.” Arad said with his eyes glowing red and the guard stood stunned for a second. “Of course…I’ll drop it…” He turned back to his friend, “Drop the bridge, we got an important person.”

The other guard seemed a bit confused. He didn’t see Arad pull identification or written order.

“You sure?”

The guard approached his friend, “I said he’s an important person. I saw him with the prime minister yesterday and he told him to come meet him.”

The bridge dropped and Arad walked into the castle unhindered. Now that he managed to make it through the front door no one would dare question his presence inside as long as he stayed clear of the inner castle.

Arad walked through the castle’s garden, seeing the princess arguing with a young man over tea. That was probably why the castle was closed today. He walked past them unnoticed and made it inside, nonchalantly going into the inner castle.

One maid saw him walk inside and she approached him, “Excuse me, sir.” She bowed, “I never seen you here before. May I help you with anything?”

“Where is the throne room? I want to see the king.” He asked and her face paled. “Sorry sir, but the king now has a meeting with some important foreign nobles.”

“The princess’s marriage?” He asked and she nodded, “So you know. She doesn’t seem too pleased with their young man, the king sent them outside to speak in the fresh air, but the two

keep arguing.”

“I’m sure the king would love to see me.” His eyes flashed red, “Where is the throne room.”

The maid pointed back and gave him directions to reach the throne room. Some other maids saw him talk with her, that was no normal maid, she was the right hand of the castle’s head maid. If she approved Arad then all other maids wouldn’t question his existence with the

castle’s inner quarters.

Arad soon reached the door of the throne room. The two guards standing there looked and knelt, “Welcome to the throne room. The king is currently having a meeting. Would you like to have a drink at the guest’s private quarter?” For all, they know he could be a powerful noble of a foreign kingdom, a rich noble, or an arms dealer that no one wants to offend. Since only people in high positions of power can enter the castle, the maids and guards working there have learned that anyone who isn’t working there is someone to respect. Any wrong word can send them straight to the chopping block.

“The king expects me. Open the door.” He said and his eyes burned red. One of the guards turned to open the door and the other took a stance, walking inside the moment the door

opened.

The king was in a meeting with several nobles and the king of their neighboring kingdom when the door opened. The guard walked inside, knelt down, and spoke. “Your Majesty, the person you await has arrived.”

The king looked confused for a second, he was expecting a noble from the south to arrive this evening, but it was not even noon. Did he arrive early or did the timing get mixed up? “Let him in…” Before the king could finish speaking, Arad was already walking inside the

throne room, looking at him with burning red eyes. Arad looked at the king, that old man seemed to be in his late fifties with a wrinkled face, long flowing grey hair, and a beard thicker

than bird nests. He did wear a fancy gold-laced robe and a thick fur coat, but nothing matched the bear coat Arad had.

“Wait outside.” Arad said and the guard rushed away, startling the two kings and the nobles with them. Shouldn’t the guard await the king’s orders?

“Who are you?” The king growled, the man he awaited was far shorter than Arad, and he

couldn’t even fully see his face. The guards standing around the king pulled their swords and

were ready to fight.

“How did you get inside?” The king shouted.

“Through the main door.” Arad smiled, “But worry not, I just came to speak with you. First, you can consider this as a warning.” He started walking toward the king.

One of the guards jumped forward, swinging his sword at Arad’s neck. The sword shattered

the moment it touched Arad’s skin.

Arad smacked the two guards down with ease and approached the king, glaring at his eyes. “So it wasn’t just you, as I expected. You, the queens, and some nobles were involved.” Arad cracked his knuckles and slapped the king across the face so hard that the poor old man dropped his fake teeth out. Arad then approached the queen who sat right beside him. “You two.” He slapped her across the face hard enough that she dropped from her chair. Everyone watched with shocked and terrified faces, but none dared to move. This man got all the way inside the castle and the guards seemed to listen to him. Everyone inside this room

can’t fight, that is why they could safely have a meeting. Resisting Arad would only mean death.

Arad slapped over fifty nobles, the king, and his seven wives, no one who had a hand in the forced labor of the slum women managed to go unslapped. Arad would’ve killed them if any of the girls were actually harmed, but since the orders were to sell their bodies to him, and he didn’t do anything, they were practically unharmed.

“I guess this makes my point clear.” Arad smiled and looked at the neighboring kingdom’s

king, “Sorry for this embarrassing display.” He removed his hood, “Arad Orion, I guess you know me, right?”

Everyone inside the room froze when they finally realized who is Arad and how he managed to make it inside. This was the man their goddess spoke about.

“Besides the usual shitty nobles and royals, this kingdom is not that bad.” Arad smiled, “I

wish I could’ve visited your kingdom as well, but I’m in a hurry. I must go.”

The neighboring kingdom’s king smiled, “Arad Orion, I must insist. If you ever manage to have time, give me a visit. I’ll make it worth your time.”

“I’ll be sure to try.” Arad smiled and the king stood, his face still had Arad’s hand mark on it.

“I’ll guide you outside.”

The king and his first wife escorted Arad all the way into the castle’s stables where they

ordered a carriage for him.

Arad looked at the carriage with a smile, “A carriage.” He then turned toward the king,

“Didn’t know you can drive one.”

Terrified, worried, and baffled, the king rode in the carriage’s driver seat with his wife as Arad

sat in the back.

With several generals and armed guards following behind them, the king drove Arad back to

the inn without saying a word.

Mesharra who was sitting outside drinking tea spat her drink the moment she saw the carriage

roll in with the king driving. Arad walked out of the back and looked at the king, “Thanks for

the ride.”

Terrified, the king forced a smile, “No need to thank me, I’m glad we got to speak. Please come visit again any time you want.”

“I’ll do. Take care, and good luck with your daughter.” He smiled. “We’ll keep an eye on her…” The queen said, “We’ll send you an invite to the wedding.”

“See you later.” Arad taped the carriage and the king drove away, followed by his guards.

“Arad what was that!? That was the king!” She whispered not to cause a scene. As Arad was about to speak to her, he saw the woman serving food and drinks in the back slowly approaching. “You, come with me.” Mesharra looked behind her, “Is something the matter?” She saw the woman and felt strange,

“Do you know her?”

“No, the first time I saw her.” He waved his hand to her, “If you’re looking for your sister, I

knocked her out and she’s tied in the basement.”

The woman immediately rushed away and Arad giggled, “She’s an assassin sent from the castle. I bet they spotted me flying with the carriage in the distance and prepared a bit. The

king himself didn’t know yet as he was in a meeting, but the generals were already on the

move. I found her sister sneaking around our rooms earlier so I knocked her unconscious and tied her in the basement.”

“You…Plum told me you went on a walk…don’t ever go on a walk alone again.” She sighed, walking with him inside. “This would complicate a lot of things.”

Later that day.

“I’ve brought the herbs.” Ann walked into the room, rushing before Mary who slowly trailed

behind her. She found Arad sitting inside with Echidna around a large table filled with scrolls, cursed totems, talismans, and bones.

Looking closer at Arad, he seemed to be getting worse and worse every day since he absorbed

her father. All of his muscles were nowhere to be seen, his skin clanged closely to his bones,

and his lips had cracked several times from dehydration. The curses had started fighting inside Arad since the day he absorbed Ann’s father, that was a week ago. Now all they have to do is perform the ritual to stabilize him.