178 Underlying Danger
“Speak.” Arad smiled. “Why are you silent?” CLAN! The men swung their swords at his neck, but they couldn’t pierce his skin.
“What?” The men gasped. “Impossible!”
Creek! The box’s door slowly jerked open. A long leg wearing black pants and shoes extended out. “Fine, you want me out. I will get out.” SWOSH! A bottle flew out of the box, cracking on a nearby tree as a long man walked out.
As the man stood, he was almost two meters tall with long black hair and red eyes. A thin build and a face covered by a semi-transparent veil.
“What are you?” The man asked.
“The owner of the forest. You’re treading on my land.” Arad smiled.
“Hmm,” The man scratched his chin. “You’re such a peculiar man, you got me interested. You smell weird.”
“Same for you.” Arad smiled, “I know the scent of blood when I smell it. Vampire.”
The man growled. “You’re a sharp one, aren’t you? A vampire hunter I presume with how you reek of our blood.” The man sighed. “It’s weak. But how many of us have you killed to have our smell attached to you?”
Arad smiled. “Do you need to know? Neither you nor your men are leaving this place alive. I was about to ignore you but you decided to attack me.”
“Hmm, I knew your blood smelled sweet from the moment my eyes fell on you. I merely wanted a taste.” The man smiled, pulling a rapier from his waist. “Kill him,”
They pulled their swords back to swing again, and blood splashed. A radiating wave of void burst from Arad’s waist, blasting them away.
“What!” The vampire gasped. CLENSH! Arad lept forward, grabbing him by the neck.
“Heh, fool,” The vampire’s eyes flashed red as he glared at Arad. Nothing happened.
“I felt a bit of tingling up my nose. Did you try something?” Arad smiled.
“Impossible! Your eyes should have exploded.”
“Blood magic? Sorry, but that won’t work.”
“No way! There are two cases where blood magic won’t work. Overwhelming difference in power, or a higher vampire.” The vampire glared at Arad. “You scent, it’s clear from this close.”
“I see, I see,” Arad smiled. “Guess I’m higher ranked than you. How do you hide your presence from other vampires?”
“You can’t you fool!” The vampire growled, “Let me go!”
“No way. You already attacked me so sorry, you’re all dead. Especially since you know me.”
“A vampire who can walk in the sun! I bet you need servants, I can serve you in exchange for blood.” The vampire cried.
[He used a potion to be able to walk in the sun. He tried to attack you and was looking for a black dragon. We have no way of controlling him so he dies.]
“Sorry, it’s not your lucky day.” Arad bites the vampire, sucking every last drop of blood from him. “Blugh!” Awful, taste like rusted spoons.
Arad started spitting after he dropped the empty husk. He looked back, and the men have died with the vampire.
No matter how much he spat, the awful taste never left his mouth.
[Your vampiric blood started weakening upon ingestion of blood. I stopped it before any damage could be dealt to your power.] Mom warned Arad.
[I let the vampire blood store inside your stomach. Please dispose of it somewhere.]
“Wait!” Arad pulled a few branches from a tree and started chewing on them to get the taste out of his mouth. “I get weaker by drinking other vampires’ blood?”
[I never dealt with vampirism. But for now, I will set it that you get weaker if you drank blood from vampires weaker than you. We have to ask Ginger for further explanation.]
“Now that reminds me, Mira knows I’m a dragon but she’s clueless about the vampire and wyrmwolf part.” Arad scratched.
[You think she would get scared?]
“Vampires suck blood and werewolves eat flesh. I’m sure she won’t find that pleasant.” Arad scratched his head.
[But dragons eat the whole thing. Vampires might only suck blood, and werewolves might only go after the flesh and chew on bones. As a dragon, you eat the whole body.]
“Yeah, dragons could be more terrifying.” Arad giggled, remembering the red dragon Alcott told him about and how he only ate young women.
“Arad.” A flower opened a mouth, “A party is fighting a troll to the east. Seven people caravan lost their way to the south. And there is a couple of griffons trying to set a nest in the mountains.”
“Let them deal with it alone. And don’t report everything to me unless they are getting closer to my home, or trying to harm the land.”
“The griffons are setting a nest in your land,” Loci said, wiggling its stem.
Arad closed his eyes, thinking of ten plans. He then took the best. “I don’t want them to go somewhere else. Their strength might be useful in the future.”
[Flying mounts for Aella?]
“Yes. For that, let’s wait until they lay eggs and can’t run away before going to visit them.” Arad smiled, heading back home.
***
Back home, Arad found Aella and Mira had already cooked dinner. This time the meat looked quite nice and pink. “This looks good, was it you Mira?”
“Yeah, she’s amazing, isn’t she?” Aella smiled. “Albeit I won’t say I find that appetizing.”
Mira stared at Aella, “Arad is a dragon. You can’t cook his meat too much. He might prefer it raw.”
Arad sat at the table. “You can cook it, but don’t overdo it.”
The two girls sat to eat with him.
After dinner, Arad stared at Mira. “Was it Lyla who asked you to come here?”
Mira giggled yeah. “She’s trying to push at you,” She scratched her chin.
Arad stared at her, standing. “You two prepare tea. Loci found some monsters.”
“I will go with you.” Aella stood.
“No, you remain here with Mira. I will be back soon.” Arad left the house.
“I didn’t say anything about monsters.” A flower spike.
“I doubt Lyla is that simple. I’m going to check on her.” Arad clenched his fists.
[She sent Mira to you to protect her from the lord’s wife men?]
BAM! Arad rushed forward as fast as he could.