The dragon's harem

Chapter 371 [Bonus ] A Dragon’s Ambitions

As the thugs ran away as fast as they could, Arad sat back on his chair, sipping the wine. ”Fool,” He mumbled, staring forward.

Thud! One of the thugs stopped, turning around and pointing his crossbow at Arad, ”Die, Monster!” He shouted.

Aella snapped like a spring, pulling her bow and aiming at the man.

”Doused in fear, your mind loses touch. So, what if you had an itch?” Arad extended his hand to the man, sending waves of psionic magic, ”Die, as you wonʼt get closer to my wives, not even an inch.”

The thugʼs arms shook and violently trembled as he pointed the crossbow back to his face. His finger clenched shut, and the bolt, through his eye went.

Arad lowered his hand, and a dark cloud sucked the thugʼs twitching corpse.

The running thugs stared back at their friendʼs death as they ran. This wasnʼt something they could fight, a monster, a demon, a creature beyond their understanding.

****

About an hour later, inside a house in the cityʼs upper district. CRACK! A manʼs body rolled on the ground, bleeding from his face. Heʼs One of the thugs that Arad sent away.

”Master! I swear by the gods, that isnʼt a man but a monster!” He growled, blood gushing out of his nose and mouth.

”You know? I find your lie hard to believe,” A voice came from the roomʼs shadows. A masked man stood there. ”A bolt, or a dagger, and he would have started bleeding,”

The man shook his head, ”We tried. He has weird magic. Lifted and smashed us together. He even made Jolen kill himself.”

The masked man sighed, ”Did he scare you to that degree? I was wrong to trust you with any decent job,” He stood, pulling a dagger, ”Here you die. You ran to me, and that was for naught.” From his voice, the thug could tell he was smiling.

The thugʼs body started shaking, convulsing, and suddenly stopped, ”When fear takes hold, the mind is easier to allude.” The thug said, standing straight as if his fear disappeared.

The masked man stopped moving, taken aback by the purple spark in the thugʼs eyes.

The thug smiled, ”Careful, donʼt get scared. As that when you get snagged.”

The masked man lowered his weapon, ”Youʼre the monster they spoke of. As I expected, you rigged my poor assistance,”

Thug looked at the masked man, ”Youʼve been nothing but trouble to a dear friend of mine. Blocking the goods as if you own them,”

”The capital is my domain,” The masked man growled, ”If Sara really sent you, then tell her, wizard. I shall skin her alive when I get to her,”

”The capital is your domain? No, it isnʼt, not anymore.” He waved his hands, ”You either serve her or lie cold. On the floor.”

”In your dreams, wizard,” The masked man growled.

”Donʼt dare sleep and sink in dreams, as Iʼm always near, more than it seems.” The thug smiled. A fly came out of the window, slipping beneath the manʼs mask.

GRWAAAAAAAAAAA! The masked man fell on his face, growling in pain, and took off his mask, his left eye bleeding.

”A bug is enough for a bug, donʼt you think?” The thug smiled, and the masked man raged, taking off his head, and screamed, ”That bastard!”

The thugʼs head fell to the ground, smiling as the purple flames in his eyes faded.

****

Out in the street, Arad smiled, and Aella looked at him. ”Did you finish?”

”Yeah, I gave him a warning,” He looked back at her, ”I can control animals and bugs just fine, but I need the humans to be terrified to the bone to get hold of them.”

”I suspect that man showed something other than fear,” Aella replied.

”He showed anger, dissatisfaction, and greed. I sensed no fear from him. As far as he knew, he ruled the place for years, and Iʼm just another challenger for his seat.” Arad explained, and Eris smiled in the back, ”I can go right now and snag him for you. He wonʼt even realize what happened to him.”

Arad shook his head, ”We still need to learn the vaultʼs location from him. Our best chance is me controlling his mind and forcing him to tell us,” Arad smiled, ”With that knowledge, Sara can control the capital.”

Mira giggled in the back, ”You speak as if overthrowing the capitalʼs underworld is but a side job you do while on a vacation,”

Arad smiled at her, ”It is a side job, after all. To this point, they didnʼt prove to be big enough of a threat.” If Aradʼs enemies arenʼt strong enough to resist his psychic abilities, they arenʼt even worth the time.

The bar of those who can challenge him has been raised, and so the fights ahead are going to get even more dangerous. Dragons are known to dominate their area and manipulate and control humanoids to do their bidding. Arad is no different, and like any other dragon, heʼs driven by an ambition that only he has.

^My family is my weakness. It doesnʼt matter how strong I am if they can just target my wives and eggs.^ Aradʼs mind started turning. ^I shall build a protective layer to safeguard my house. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, monsters, and magic. A lair beyond the deadliest of mazes, one that doesnʼt need me to protect it,^

Arad could see it, feel it. Tens of maidens carrying his eggs to a hatchery of gold and silver. Guards upon guards, walls upon walls, and barriers upon barriers.

Everything beneath his claws as he gazes down from the highest peak, and his enemies burning at the very edge of his domain, his house to them is like the stars, untouchable, unreachable.

A dragonʼs arrogant dream of wealth and power, Arad smiled at the thought, walking beside Aella.

He shook his head. Now is the time to work. He can enjoy it when it becomes true. No one is going to build it for him. No, he wonʼt let anyone build it for him. He canʼt be happy if it isnʼt his own work, and what if they sabotaged it? He canʼt trust anyone with his dream. Itʼs his pride, and he shall see it done.

Aella looked at Arad, sensing the dragon stirring. Even beneath his calm face, she could sense his lust for power. The older he gets, the closer he gets to his draconic nature. Is that what they really want?

CLAP! Mira smacked Arad on the shoulder, smiling, ”Arad, youʼre face is scary. Smile!”

Arad stared at her, confused, ”What?”

”Youʼre thinking too much. I can see it on your face.” She grabbed him from the cheek, pulling them apart to force a smile. ”You said this is a vacation for us. Letʼs have fun,” She pointed into the distance, ”I want to see the capitalʼs famous garden. I heard a flower field lies in the middle of it.”

Arad smiled, ”A flower field. That would be beautiful to see.” He looked forward, ”Letʼs go,”