When everything was settled we departed to the stables.
A sword and a pistol were given to me along with light armor.
"Can I assume you know how to use these?" Asked a knight.
In response, I skillfully cut the air around us.
Dominique trained every aspect of his body to serve Verónica with the utmost efficiency in any situation. So of course he would know how to use a weapon.
His style was similar of those ancient knights of England or Switzerland. But there was also a hint of vague savageness, characteristic of the Vikings or dark age Templars.
Regarding my aim, I was not a sniper, but I was good enough to hit a target a couple of hundred meters away.
"That leaves no questions. Now, take this"
The knight gave me a medal. A Fenix was rising its fly into the sky as the symbol.
"If things get nasty, show this to the guards, they'll let you go without a sound"
"Understood"
Both the knight and I went to where our mounts were.
Lines of well-cared drakes filled my sight as we walked through the stables.
These creatures were the cousins of dragons. But instead of 4 limbs and wings, they had 2 legs, and depending on the type, the wings could or not exist.
The color of their scales represented their element.
The drakes here were mostly ground beasts.
Only 2 green ones were capable to fly in the case that a message had to be sent.
Most of them were the size of a horse, so training them as traveling medium was quite common.
The knight departed from my side and sat on a red drake that seemed capable to break down an iron door with the power of his legs.
Not to mention his fire breath.
"I guess I need to find one for myself"
As a servant, I learned how to ride a drake as one of my primal skills. The thing is, I normally drive a caravan, so I rarely have to be on a single giant lizard.
It's going to be a bit uncomfortable, but I can manage.
After going through the stables for a couple of minutes, I finally found a drake that at least didn't try to scorch my head at the first sight.
"I guess it´s better than nothing..."
"Boy"
When I was about to get on the saddle, Herion called me.
He was on the back of a drake the size of a bull. It was vastly more intimidating and strong-looking than the rest of the drakes.
It was a pack leader.
"Yes, my lord?"
"What do you think you're doing? that drake is not fit for you"
"It's the only one who's willing to be ridden by me"
"Maybe when it comes to red drakes, but as the Fotiadis we have a wider gamma of choices for a beast to ride"
Looking at the stables manager, Herion nodded.
"Bring it here!" Said the manager while looking into a room well isolated inside the stables.
GROAAAA!!
A bipedal creature was dragged out of the room by 2 knights holding its neck with glowing chains.
A shivering roar as a greeting.
Its body was protected with an armor of black scales and 2 slim arms equipped with sharp claws and complemented by a large jaw of dreadful teeth. Her long tail had its end in the shape of a heart-piercing spear.
A black drake?!
What's more, that drake is Twilight, the mount Dominique had in the original story.
Tough it was Verónica who gave her to him, not Herion...
"This black-scaled drake is not as strong as our red drakes or my pack leader, but she is quick, stealthy, and very lethal. Her skills are similar to your shadow magic, so you should be the perfect match"
You're not wrong on that.
In the original story, this drake put the heroine in danger every time it was mentioned. It was a shame when she died, but now that I'm here we can avoid that end.
I approached the creature, our eyes locked with each other.
"Grrrrr..."
"... Nice to meet you," I said patting her head.
When we touched, a flick of black mana sparkled. Soon after the dread I felt before vanished as if it was never there.
"Grruu?"
Twilight leaned forward, apparently enjoying now the touch of my hand.
"Heh. Weren't you supposed to be scary?"
We were compatible.
That much could be known by looking at our master and pet interaction.
"As always, you were right my lord. That drake would have ripped off the hand of any other man. It's incredible"
Herion nodded in agreement as he began to ride out of the stables.
"Time to go!"
Yes sir!!
Preparing my saddle, and tightening my grip on the ropes, Twilight began to move her legs.
"Let's show them what we can do, alright?"
I received a groan as approval of my suggestion.
*
"Boy, do you see them?"
"Yes sir, they are picking up the goods. It also seems like they are getting tired of waiting"
I was on a rooftop with Twilight beside me.
I was communicating with Herion using a long-distance air spell.
"Can we move?"
"Yes sir, if you go through the alley of Dainea street you'll find the back entrance, you could burn it down and catch anyone who tries to flee while the captain and his men go from the frontal gate"
"We would have both the flank and the front... We'll do that, call me if they start moving"
"Yes, my lord"
The bandits were inside a 3-floor house with a wide yard.
I was able to see at least a dozen outside and another 9 inside.
I was watching the men packing up black leather sacks in a couple of caravans pushed by brown drakes.
They were grabbing that stuff from a warehouse filled with herbs and powders of several colors.
Some of them were sniffing and pumping them into their veins. It was easy to know the effects of those things by the erratic reaction of the junkies.
"Tch. Fucking disgusting"
I never understood why people liked to put stuff like that into their bodies, and honestly, I don´t need to.
I´m never going to try them myself.
Much less let Verónica do it.
By the time both vehicles were at their maximum, Herion and the others were in position to begin the assault.
"Boy, open the gate"
"At once, sir"
I rode Twilight and using the rooftops we soon were above the gates. There were 2 guards.
"Nothing personal"
Unsheeting my sword I jumped from my drake to the back of one of them.
"So I was wondering, how about we take a couple of shots to ourselves and-"
Krrrgh.
"Wha-"
Domp.
As soon as the metal pierced his heart, I pulled out the sword and with a circular motion decapitated the guy about to realize the situation.
They were both goners before the enemy could notice anything.
When Twilight landed she dragged the corpses out of the way as I broke the lock with the mangle of my blood-bathed weapon.
The first one to admire my work was the captain.
"... Make sure no one escapes"
"... Understood"
Then the knight pulled out a horn, and with its roar, the assault began.
"We are the knights of Fotiadis! And by the orders of the king and our lord, you are all sentenced to death!"
ROOOOAAAAAAR!!
"We are under attack! Sound the alarm!"
The knights were merciless.
They soon obliterated everyone in the yard as Herion and the others burned the back entrance and set on fire the hopes of those trying to escape.
This could not be called a combat.
It was more like a plague eradication.
"C´mon beauty, we still have work to do"
"GROAR!"
We mixed with the shadows and went elsewhere.
**
"How the hell did they find us?!"
"I don´t know! Even if that butler would have betrayed us, they shouldn´t be able to read the coordinates!"
"Then why are they here, you idiot!"
Boom!
"Boss! They have entered the building! They´re coming for us!"
"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"
Inside a room at the highest place of the building, a group of bandits was regretting their life choices as a hoodied figure observed in panicking silence the massacre happening before his eyes.
"... This place is lost"
Having said that, he began to walk to the window from where he came while also grabbing a bag filled with jewels and coins along the way.
"Wait! You can´t leave us! What are we going to do against the Fotiadis by ourselves?!"
"At least take us with you!"
Boom!
"Boss, they are at the end of the hallway!"
Pulling out a knife, the hoodied man locked eyes with the shivering scumbags.
"You were paid to do a job, and you failed, there´s nothing left for me to do for you, if you want to follow me, go ahead, but don´t expect me to help you"
"Y-You!"
"This is not what he told us!"
"Not my business"
Crack!
When the doors fell and Herion entered, the room fell in dead silence.
"... So you´re the one responsible for turning Colt against me"
"W-Who?"
"You will pay your transgressions with your life"
His sword was embraced with the brightest of fires. It was the material representation of the rage burning within his heart.
"Please! Save me! I´ll give you anything!"
"Then give me a couple of seconds"
Using his body as an object, the man shot the body of his living ammunition at Herion and his knights.
"Out of the way!"
"HYYYYAAAAAAAA!!!!"
Herion used his fire and turned the man into a black piece of burning coal.
By the time the place was surrounded by the flames, there was already a distance between them and the figure.
"After him!"
"Yes sir!"
Herion grabbed the green crystal hanging on his left shoulder and poured mana into it.
"Dominique! Where are you?!"
A connection with his servant was established immediately.
"I´m just getting done hunting down some bandits sir, I´m at the west side of your position"
"A man is running through the rooftops, get him!"
"The roofs?... I see him! Beginning chase sir!"
"Once you get him, do not kill him, he could have valuable information about these drug dealers"
"Understood"
"Prove my daughter was right to keep you alive boy"
"... I will, my lord"
The connection vanished, and Herion looked in the direction of the hunt.
"Show me you are worthy of being by her side"
As both a prayer and a test, Herion whispered those words expecting good news at the end of the night.