Chereads / The Dragon Prince Is Awake / Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Cleaning Up The Trash

Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Cleaning Up The Trash

When he woke up the next morning Casen left the inn and was standing on a rooftop to overlook his surroundings. He was rolling a gold coin across his knuckles as he stared at the way it gleamed in the morning sun. Now that he was no longer in an exhausted state his body was healing nicely he could focus on his emotions and senses.

He had yet to adapt to the increase of these two and he was having trouble controlling them. Because of the recent events he had a very prominent desire for revenge but the man that ignited this desire was dead and he didn't understand why he was disappointed.

'Maybe it is because I received help? Though without it I doubt I would be here.' He thought. 

Revenge was a complicated concept, at least to him. It was a double-edged blade that would fuel one throughout their life but when it is seen through they may be filled with an emptiness that makes them look back at their decisions.

They could have massacred an entire population because the minority was involved, or they could have ended a family that was unaware of the other's mistakes. Such innocent lives were taken away without knowing why.

With this thought in mind Casen would direct his revenge on the ones who gave him problems, it was those who had connections to Adam. All of them made him bow his head and the dragon in him didn't like it one bit.

Flicking the coin in the air he caught it in his hand and placed it in his pocket. The building he was currently on would be the start of his community service. Walking to the edge he stepped off and let his body drop to the ground that cracked with cobwebs under his feet. 

"Hey! The boss isn't seeing anyone right now so scram!" A voice called out from behind him.

Turning around he met eyes with a man that was guarding the door with a large axe hung on his back. He was packed with bulging muscles.

"I said scram!" Seeing that Casen wouldn't leave he grabbed the axe from his back and swung it down on him, dragon or not.

Casens' body instinctively moved to side-step avoiding the swing causing the sharp blade to sink into the ground beside him. "Didn't you learn to not swing at a dragon?"

He spoke before he dug his foot into the cracked ground and lunged forward, his fingers catching the man's throat and ripping his trachea out to throw it to the side as blood was spurting out from the open wound.

Watching as the man fell to his knees, his grip on the handle loosening Casen shook his head. The man had the strength and the weapon but it was only useful if he had faced him from a longer range and had time to assess his opponent. Without a second more he clawed into the man's chest and grasped his heart to pull it out from its confines and ate it. Like before his soul was consumed.

Picking up the now ownerless weapon he raised it into the air and threw it at the building with his entire strength, the gust of wind from the power exerted caused dirt and dust to pick up.

The sheer size of the axe broke the front wall and door, hitting everything behind it until it eventually met the next wall and got stuck between the material.

Inside there were headless bodies littered across the wooden floor and there, a brown-haired man was kneeling amidst. He had felt the impact coming from outside and was already preparing himself for the intruder. 

When he looked up to see the culprit his eyes first widened in shock then quickly changed to pure unbridled anger. "You scaled bastard!" Standing up with a primal scream his hands erupted with searing fire, conjuring flaming projectiles that hurled towards Casen that trailed fiery streaks across the air. 

Casen, knowing he couldn't take the attack head-on, grabbed one of the bodies near him and used it as a meat shield. The flames erupted with a loud boom followed by cinders that were sent in all directions.

Throwing the burnt corpse away, Casen charged, his wings unfurled, his claws outstretched and his chest heaving as he let out a guttural roar.

Colliding with the brown-haired man, Casens' claws came down on him with a sickening crunch, tearing through the man's clothes and digging into his flesh. The man let out a cry of pain, his hands glowing in red he erupted Casen in flames to deter him. The inferno threatened to consume him but it only spurred him on further.

In response to the heat, shimmering white scales grew on his skin like a protective layer while he used his claws to sink in deep between the man's rib cage and pull it apart, his flesh completely separating from each other. Casen grabbed his heart with a bloodied hand and bit right into it, promptly ending the man's life.

His body that was doused in flames died down and his scales disappeared while he was kneeling over the man's body, his chest heaving after he swallowed the chunk of the organ while his slightly burnt skin visibly healed . The pleasant and familiar feeling of vitality coursed through his body as he finished the meal.

Drawing in a deep breath Casen stood up on his feet and one by one he tore out the hearts of the bodies that were left intact throughout and ate them as well. He also took a pair of clothes from one of them before he tore out their heart, the ones he wore before were all but reduced to ashes. He didn't forget to grab the dead man's savings either. 

Walking out from the building the people who were huddled around fled at the sight of him emerging except for a small frail boy who looked at him with wide brown eyes.

Approaching him Casen used his white tail to pat his head since his hands were covered and dripping with blood. "Don't be a bad man when you grow up, bad men become dead men." He said with a soft tone while he pulled out a few gold coins from the pouch he took and gave it to the child who only nodded in response while clutching them in his small hands.

Satisfied at his actions he smiled and walked away. He had other trash to clean.