Authors note : Trigger warning this chapter details an attempted sexual assault. For those sensitive to such matters please skip this chapter.

As always, thank you for reading and enjoy.

– Anatha Shesha

_____________________________________

“Did you miss us little lizard?” One of them said with a sickening grin.

“Please I-I don’t have anything left to give, you said last time would be the end!”

“Yea well, when the snow scale clan wants something they get it.”

“And since you can’t meet the payment, we get to torch your little store.” One said mockingly. “Unless of course you’d be willing to accept young master Jeddah’s offer?”

“Or…” the leader, an ogre named Borkus stared at me with burning lust in his eyes.

“My wife’s been nagging the hell out of me lately, so if you do me a favor and strip right here I can relieve a little stress and we can all leave quiet and satisfied.”

Hearing his disgusting words my eyes widened in horror and I felt sick to my stomach.

I felt sick.

I wanted to fight but I couldn’t.

If I shifted I could kill all of these bastards but then what?

I have no power to fight one of the clans led by a dragon lord!

I haven’t even evolved before!

Anywhere I hid they would surely find me.

And what about Mira?

A life on the run is no life for a young girl like her to live.

She shouldn’t have to spend her life paying for my choices.

As I prepared to remove my blouse I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking.

‘I’m so afraid.’

As I undid the first button, I smelled their foul odors getting closer and closer.

‘Why is this happening to me again?’

When Borkus finally stood in front of me, he ripped the rest of my shirt off and shoved me to the ground.

‘I’m such a coward.’

Seeing him grin as he began to unbuckle his pants, I could endure no more before I finally let the tears fall.

‘I want to die.’

Ring!

As the bell on the door rang once again, I looked through teary eyes at the figures standing at the door.

“Lisa!”

Hearing the voice of lady Lailah fill my ears, I felt relieved and ashamed.

I didn’t want her to see me like this, but I was so glad she was here.

Borkus : “Get the hell out of here and mind your own fucking business!”

Lailah: “H-husband.”

Exedra : “I’m here my love, what do you need?”

Lailah : “Y-you said you wanted me to be more selfish with my desires so.. Please kill these bastards and help my friend.”

As I watched Lailah make her request on my behalf I realized how upset she really was.

Her usual red eyes had changed to an illustrious gold, and every word she spoke she said through gritted teeth.

“What did that bitch just say?” Borkus roared.

BANG!

As soon as the words left his mouth the pressure in the room became unbearable.

Exedra’s body was emitting a suffocating purple and red aura that made even breathing difficult.

Every breath I took, I felt needles in my lungs.

“You…you actually fucking dare to speak to my wife that way?”

Exedra was shaking with an unfathomable rage.

Given that we are the same species, I could vaguely sense his surface level feelings.

The chills it gave me made me want to run to another continent to hide but even then I knew it still wouldn’t be enough.

His rage was as inescapable and endless as fate itself.

By now, Borkus and his goons were on their knees struggling under the pressure of a noble dragon.

“M-mercy.. I’m sorry.. it was an accident…please I have a family..” Borkus looked like he was struggling to get out every word.

I could see blood beginning to run from his ears and instantly knew whatever pressure he was feeling was atleast ten times worse than my own.

“W-we’re sorry!”

“Please let us go!”

ƥαṇdα- ηθνε|·ƈθm

What happened next is something I will never forget for as long as I live.

“You say you have a family?” Exedra asked in an eerily calm voice.

“Y-yes , I have a wife and seven children!”

Exedra slowly raised his hand and held out a single finger.

A small purple and black flame, about the size of a newborn’s fist materialized above his clawed finger.

‘That flame.. I can feel the heat coming off of it even from here.’ As soon as the flame appeared the room became noticeably warmer.

Soon the flame split into three and rotated around his outstretched hand.

“Then after I’m done with you.. I shall kill them as well and thoroughly eliminate all traces of you from existence.”

As soon as his words were finished, all three flames shot towards a target at an incredible speed as soon as they made contact with the men, their entire bodies were engulfed in brilliant flames.

FWUSHHH!

“AAAARGHHH!!”

“NO PLEASE!”

“YAAAARGHHH!”

They rolled around on the ground attempting to put the flames out but it was to no avail.

None of the wood in the shop or the books on the shelves caught fire either, it was then that I realized he was so in tune with his flame it would only burn exactly what he told it to burn.

For a dragon as young as he to have that much control over his power.. was simply unthinkable.

Their screaming lasted for only ten seconds before they fell over never to make a sound again, but I wish they suffered for longer.

After a few more seconds, their bones, flesh,and clothes had all been reduced to individual piles of ash. Only then did the flames disappear and that stifling aura retracted.

Even though it was over, Exedra still looked furious.

He stared at the ashes on the ground as if he wanted them to come back to life so he could kill them again.

I watched as Lailah brought her hand to her husband’s cheek and looked at him lovingly.

It was as if the previous scene hadn’t intimidated her in the slightest, and she was even more in love with him than she was before!

“Thank you my love.”

It was only after he heard her word’s that Exedra’s eyes softened considerably and he gave his own faint smile before he nodded.

Lailah then turned her attention to me.

She came forward and got down on one knee and attempted to cover my exposed upper body with her husbands long robe that he’d given her.

“Are you alright?” She asked in a voice full of concern.

For some reason, when I heard that question I couldn’t lie.

I didn’t have the strength.

So instead I said nothing, and just let my tears fall silently.

Lailah made a pained expression before she pulled me in for a hug and for the first time in a long time, I let myself be weak as I cried on her shoulder.

At some point Exedra had come beside us as well and rubbed my back in comfort as I continued to wail like a small child.

Twenty minutes later, when I had no more tears left to cry, Exedra asked me in a calm and solemn voice “What was his name?”

“Borkus.” I replied weakly.

In response, he gave me a faint smile and patted my head warmly before he stood up suddenly and began to walk out of the store.

I felt like I was much too old to be receiving headpats but of course he left before I could tell him anything.

“Lailah I’ll be back shortly keep her safe okay?” He said without looking back.

“Of course husband.”

He didn’t tell us where he was going but he didn’t need to.

My mother and father used to say you can feel the aura of a man who keeps his word.

Looking at Exedra’s tattooed back disappear, I can finally say I understand exactly what they meant.