The dragon recoiled slightly, growling in defiance, but sothing in Horizon's voice — cold, commanding — made it hesitate.
The young dragon hissed, still clinging to its draconic pride. "What nonsense are you spouting, mortal?! I serve only the mighty Kuxcoatl, He Who Ascended, the Master of Change . . . I will never bow to so mortal filth!"
Horizon's eyes narrowed. "So be it, then."
Without another word, his twin scimitars flashed, severing the dragon's head cleanly. The creature's massive body slumped, and Horizon imdiately activated [Death Wyrm], summoning the dragon's soul.
He had only one chance to bind it. He couldn't fail.
But even in death, the dragon's spirit resisted. The ethereal form snarled, refusing to submit, and with a shattering roar, the soul splintered into fragnts, dissolving into the sky, out of reach, returning to the blood moon.
Horizon clicked his tongue in frustration. Whether it was his skill being too low or the dragon's will too strong, he had failed to bind its soul and raise it as an undead.
No matter. He would just have to level up the skill. One day, no dragon — living or dead — would escape his grasp.
Nyx flapped down, landing on the dragon's limp body, sniffing the air.
"Quick, Horizon," she urged, eyes gleaming. "Harvest its organs before they rot. A dragon's essence fades fast."
Horizon moved swiftly, his hands working guided by familiarity. He pulled out his [Dragon Toolkit] from his backpack and began to harvest the young Coatl's parts: feathers, talons, fangs, and horns.
Each piece could be sold for a hefty sum. As he considered removing the organs, he realized he didn't have the proper containers. Without them, they would only rot.
"Von, give a hand," Horizon called out, moving to the corpses scattered across the battlefield, looting their bodies without a second thought.
Von's eyes widened in shock. "Horizon! What are you doing? Those are your people! They're dead!"
Your people? Lydia thought. Horizon was human? Not that it was a shocker since interbreeding was very common in Eternia.
Horizon didn't even flinch. "Exactly. They're dead. Their valuables, on the other hand, are still very much useful. Grab their bags and loot the others. We'll need the gil if we're going to build our own territory."
Nyx chuckled darkly as she used her talons to search the dead bodies. "Don't forget to give those catches my eye," she chid in, helping Horizon rummage through the belongings of the fallen.
Von hesitated, conflicted, but before he could argue further, a voice broke through.
"T-that's . . . that's too cruel!" Lydia stamred, horrified as she watched Horizon nonchalantly loot the bodies.
Both Horizon and Nyx turned to her, their expressions unreadable. After a brief glance in her direction, they resud their task, as if she were nothing more than an afterthought.
"Hey! Don't ignore ! How can you just rob the dead? Don't you have any compassion for them?" Lydia demanded, stepping forward, her voice trembling with indignation.
Horizon straightened, his bag now heavier with pouches of gil, and items. He t her gaze with cold indifference. "I don't know them," he said flatly. "Why would I have compassion for strangers? Just like you, I don't have any qualms in looting the dead."
Lydia faltered, taken aback by the bluntness of his words. "W-what are you saying?"
"Huh? Horizon what are you saying?" Von asked, baffled as well.
Horizon's eyes didn't waver. "Look at their armor." He gestured to the corpses clad in white plate mail, adorned with the insignia of the Radiance Church.
The Radiance Church was established with the first players on Eternia and has grown into the most powerful and influential organization in the land.
On Earth, religion was a fixture of daily life, and even within the ARK, various faiths had their practices.
But here, on Eternia, the Radiance Church reigns supre, its influence stretching far and wide.
"They're knights of the Radiance Church. But you . . ." His gaze shifted to her leather armor, taking in the exposed midriff and the distinct lack of any identifying marks. "You're not one of them, are you? Are you a fugitive on the run?"
Von was shocked. "Huh?! A fugitive?!"
Lydia's face went pale, her eyes widening in shock as she took an involuntary step back. "W-what? How . . . how do you .
. . ?"
Horizon's face remained as impassive as ever. "It's obvious. You don't belong with them. You're on the run from sothing, aren't you?"
Nyx snickered again, her eyes gleaming. "Looks like we've found ourselves a wanted woman. Interesting company we've found ourselves, huh?"
Lydia swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond, her secret now laid bare before them.
Lydia leaped over a rock, widening the distance between herself and the two n. With her sword drawn, she faced Horizon and Von, a mischievous grin on her face. "I might have borrowed a little sothing from them," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But those sanctimonious church knights chased all the way here."
Horizon remained unperturbed, while Von stood there, tears of exasperation welling in his eyes.
"Why? Why are the won I et always like this?" he lanted, his voice a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
"Ah! Von, your backpack!" Cappy's voice cut through the air.
Von's head snapped around as he realized his backpack was indeed missing. He looked over at Lydia, who now had it slung casually over her shoulders.
"How did that happen?!" Von exclaid, bewildered.
"Thanks for taking care of that dragon for ," Lydia said with a sly grin. "I was trying to escape those knights, and the dragon ca along and took care of them for . Perfect timing, right? Served those self-righteous knights right." She spat out the last word with a mix of contempt and satisfaction.
Nyx nodded, admiring the glint of a shiny object she held. "I visited a church once," she mused. "Not for any religious reasons, mind you. A cleric owed a favor. I was told religion was for everyone, but I don't even fit through their doors."
"Right?" Lydia snapped, her eyes flashing with indignation. "They preach righteousness while stealing from people in the na of their god. But when I steal from them, I'm the sinner?" Her rant was cut short as she noticed a glimring egg nestled in the tiny skeletal dragon's claws.
"Wait . . . how did you get that?!" Lydia's voice turned frantic as she searched her bag, only to find it missing. The egg was now clutched tightly by the dragon.
Nyx's eyes sparkled with amusent. "Is this what you stole from the church? I've got to say, I like it. And now it's mine." She made no effort to hide her glee.
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|| A/N ||
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