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 won’t get closer to my wives, not even an inch.”

The thug’s 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. ｂ𝚍ｏｖ𝚕．𝚝

Arad lowered his hand, and a dark cloud sucked the thug’s twitching corpse.

The running thugs stared back at their friend’s death as they ran. This wasn’t something they could fight, a monster, a demon, a creature beyond their understanding.

****

About an hour later, inside a house in the city’s upper district. CRACK! A man’s body rolled on the ground, bleeding from his face. He’s One of the thugs that Arad sent away.

“Master! I swear by the gods, that isn’t 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 room’s 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 thug’s 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 thug’s eyes.

The thug smiled, “Careful, don’t get scared. As that when you get snagged.”

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

Thug looked at the masked man, “You’ve 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 isn’t, not anymore.” He waved his hands, “You either serve her or lie cold. On the floor.”

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

“Don’t dare sleep and sink in dreams, as I’m always near, more than it seems.” The thug smiled. A fly came out of the window, slipping beneath the man’s 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, don’t you think?” The thug smiled, and the masked man raged, taking off his head, and screamed, “That bastard!”

The thug’s 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 I’m 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 won’t even realize what happened to him.”

Arad shook his head, “We still need to learn the vault’s 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 capital’s 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 didn’t prove to be big enough of a threat.” If Arad’s enemies aren’t strong enough to resist his psychic abilities, they aren’t 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, he’s driven by an ambition that only he has.

^My family is my weakness. It doesn’t matter how strong I am if they can just target my wives and eggs.^ Arad’s 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 doesn’t 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 dragon’s 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 won’t let anyone build it for him. He can’t be happy if it isn’t his own work, and what if they sabotaged it? He can’t trust anyone with his dream. It’s 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, you’re face is scary. Smile!”

Arad stared at her, confused, “What?”

“You’re 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. Let’s have fun,” She pointed into the distance, “I want to see the capital’s 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, “Let’s go,”