I Only Tame Dragons

When the bid reached 15 Aurums, Grimm shook his head. "That's it. We're out." He looked over at Travis with a heavy sigh. "Sorry, kid."

Travis forced a nod, his throat tightening. "No worries, Leader. Maybe next time."

Travis took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger that churned inside him. The [Dragonkin Blade] wasn't his. It was someone else's now. And there was nothing he could do about it.

The auction continued, but Travis barely paid attention. His mind was still on the blade, on the opportunity that had slipped through his fingers.

He knew Seraphina or one of the other high-ranking guilds would walk away with it, and he could only imagine the kind of power they would wield with such a weapon in their arsenal.

The hammer came down with a final, resounding thud.

"Sold! For 17 Aurums!"

In the end, it was Seraphina who emerged victorious, her hand firmly securing the [Dragonkin Blade] as if it had always belonged to her.

The air in the auction hall was thick with tension, a mix of disappointment and frustration from the rival guilds who had fought tooth and nail, only to watch the prize slip from their grasp.

Faces were tight with barely concealed anger, and whispered curses filled the room. Many had pinned their hopes on claiming the Gold-tier weapon, but now, that dream was crushed.

Among the murmurs of dissatisfaction, one group stood out—the Wingless Valkyrie. Seraphina's victory had filled them with an almost tangible sense of pride and satisfaction.

But the ones who was happiest, by far, was Horizon. "Looks like we'll be dinning in a fancy restaurant, tonight."

Horizon admired his haul with a satisfied grin. Seventeen Aurum was no small fortune, especially for an independent player with no guild. Even small guilds would consider it a treasure.

"Seventeen Aurum is hardly something to celebrate," Nyx muttered, dampening the mood as always—forever the party pooper.

Horizon chuckled, unbothered. "With this, I can rent a forging studio for two months and still dine at a fancy restaurant."

"I didn't expect you to be so reckless with money," Nyx replied, shaking his head.

"A little indulgence won't hurt," Horizon said, laughing again. "Besides, it's a grand feast before tomorrow's competition."

Later, after renting the forging studio, Horizon made his way to the central market, where his companions were already waiting.

Gathered near a fountain were Lydia, Frigid, Von, and Fifi, all exchanging glances as they glanced around impatiently.

"Horizon sure is taking his time," Lydia muttered, her foot tapping. "He's been holed up in that forging studio for hours. Where is he now? Hey, Frigid, any clue?"

Frigid scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "He mentioned something about the auction . . . Maybe it's still going?"

Lydia groaned. "The auction ended a while ago! Where is he? I'm starving."

"I'm starving," Fifi echoed, her face a mask of stockiness.

Von laughed, leaning back casually. "Patience, ladies. I'm sure Horizon's running this way. He should be here any second."

"Uh-oh, trouble," Cappy whispered, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a group approaching—Veilborne, led by their infamous leader, Nightshade.

Lydia immediately ducked behind Von, glaring at the incoming hostile guild. "Are they here to start something again?"

Frigid frowned, glancing around. "There are guards everywhere. They wouldn't be that reckless, would they?"

Nightshade and his entourage came to a stop directly in front of Von and the others, their dark armor glinting under the market's lanterns. His voice was cold and sharp. "You. Where is Ironfist?"

Lydia scowled, peeking from behind Von. "Why are you looking for your missing guild member from us? Isn't he your responsibility?"

Nightshade's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as Lydia spoke.

"He's been missing," he growled.

Von grinned, folding his arms across his chest. "Then take it up with the guards. We're not your go-to for missing persons."

Stormcaller clenched his fists, his rage barely contained. "Don't treat us like fools! I'll kill you all, right here!"

Nightshade raised a hand, silencing him before things escalated. His eyes locked onto Von, cold and threatening. "Your guild is the only one with a reason to take Ironfist out."

Von smirked. "Are you so sure? Where's your proof?"

For a moment, Nightshade and his group fell silent, their words caught in their throats.

"Maybe your guild's reputation finally caught up with you," Von continued smoothly. "Perhaps some of your own got tired of Ironfist's nonsense and took him out when they had the chance."

Lydia nodded, peeking out from behind Von. "Sounds like it's your problem, not ours."

Nightshade sneered, his lips curling in contempt. "You think taking one of us will cripple us? We have spares—plenty of them." He grinned, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Unlike you lot. Lose one of yours, and it's game over."

The tension between the two groups hung heavy in the air, the market suddenly feeling much smaller as they squared off.

"What are those two up to again?" one of the onlookers muttered, their eyes fixed on the tense standoff between Veilborne and Horizon's group.

"Haven't they learned their lesson the first time?" another whispered, the crowd buzzing with anticipation.

"If they start something now, there won't be any more excuses for them. Straight to jail this time."

"I hope they get jailed," someone else added, eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. "Less competition that way."

The market buzzed with murmurs as people watched, waiting for Veilborne to make a move. Just then, Horizon arrived, cutting through the crowd.

"What's going on here?" Horizon asked, his voice calm but curious as he eyed Veilborne.

"Horizon! You're finally here!" Von exclaimed, relief flashing across his face.

Frigid and Fifi's faces brightened, but Lydia immediately shot him a glare. "Where have you been? We've been waiting for you here all day!" she said.

"Hey, I'm here too, you know," Nyx chimed in, arms crossed as she glared at Von and the others. She then turned her attention back to the hostile guild. "Are you lot here to cause trouble again?" she sneered, taunting them.

Nightshade's gaze shifted from the group to Horizon, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You. Where is Ironfist?" he growled.

Horizon cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Who?" he asked.

Stormcaller's temper flared, veins popping on his neck. "Ironfist! One of ours! Did you do something to him?"

Horizon blinked in surprise, then a slow smile curled at the edges of his lips. "Oh, him. He's probably still out in the forest somewhere."

"What?" Veilborne's eyes widened in shock.

Von and the others turned to Horizon, their mouths falling open. Did Horizon just confessed as to why Ironfist was missing?

Nyx chuckled darkly, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You wouldn't find anything there now, though. I bet even his bones have probably been picked clean by the beasts out there."

Veilborne's jaws dropped collectively, stunned by the audacity of what they were hearing.

Von scratched his head, struggling to wrap his mind around it, but Horizon only grinned wider, his sharp canines gleaming in the market's dim light. His eyes turned to slits, a malevolent spark flickering in them.

"What? He came after me, tried to take my life. So I ended his."

Nightshade and his group were struck speechless. Ironfist had a power level in the 300 to 400 range—someone like him was a juggernaut, a fighter who'd never lost a one-on-one against a player with the same stat. That's why he had confidently gone after Horizon, thinking it would be an easy victory.

"You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Stormcaller roared, launching himself at Horizon in a fit of rage.

But before he could reach him, a guard shouted, "Halt! What do you think you're doing?"

Stormcaller froze in his tracks as the guards moved in, their eyes stern.

"Are you fighting?!" one of the guards barked, eyeing both groups.

The lead guard recognized both Horizon's and Veilborne's groups immediately and groaned. "You two again? If there's any more trouble, we'll be forced to throw you in jail this time."

"Whoa, whoa, officers," Von quickly interjected, raising his hands in mock surrender. "We didn't do anything. They're the ones who came at us."

The guard's eyes flicked between Von and Nightshade's group, assessing the situation. Veilborne remained silent, remembering the peculiar influence Von had with the city's officials. No one seemed eager to deal with him directly. They knew better than to risk crossing a line too far.

Nightshade clenched his jaw. Retreating now was a bitter pill to swallow, but they had no choice. They couldn't risk jail time and being banned from tomorrow's competition. The stakes were too high.

"We're not doing anything," Nightshade laughed, though it came out hollow and forced. "Just wishing them luck for tomorrow's competition." He shot a glare at Horizon and Von before turning on his heel. "Let's go," he ordered, and Veilborne begrudgingly followed him out of the market.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As they left, Horizon's voice rang out behind them. "Let's grab dinner at Elfred. I've scored big at the auction."

Nightshade froze mid-step, and the rest of Veilborne's group turned wide-eyed. Elfred—the top cuisine in Eldrasil, where the price for a single meal was 50 Bullion per head. The most luxurious dining experience in the city.

Thanks to the recent auction and the bank being closed for the night, every major guild was essentially broke, Veilborne included. They had spent their remaining fortune on overpriced items, luxuries, and resources for the competition. Now, they were left scraping by, heading to the players' hall for cheap, basic food.

Lydia, noticing the direction they were going, smirked. "What's this? You're going to the beggar's hall for dinner?"

Nightshade's face flushed red with fury and humiliation. Veilborne had already maxed out their budget on extravagant items and showy displays for tomorrow's event, thinking it would give them an edge. Now, they were left with nothing but scraps.

Stormcaller clenched his fists, his pride bruised, but they couldn't do anything, not with the guards hot on their heels.

Veilborne silently seethed as they retreated toward the players' hall, the jeers from Horizon's group ringing in their ears.

"Let's go enjoy our meal, shall we?" Von said cheerfully, leading the way toward the luxurious restaurant to enjoy a night's meal before the competition tomorrow.