Book 2: Chapter 15 (1/2)

Tafel stopped in front of a metal gate, eyes closed, and inhaled through her nose while spreading her arms out to the side. The surrounding people were staring at her, pointing at the horns on her head. The guards at the gate had their weapons at the ready. “Ah, the sweet smell of a brand-new town,” she said and opened her eyes, smiling at the citizens. “It smells like adventure.”

“It smells like poop,” Vur said and wrinkled his nose. Stella nodded as well, covering her nose with Vur’s hair.

“Vur…,” Tafel said and pouted. “You have no adventuring spirit.”

“E-excuse me,” one of the guards said. “But, uh, what are you?”

“An adventurer,” Tafel said with a nod.

“Oh,” the guard said. He nodded and furrowed his brow before muttering, “That isn’t exactly what I was asking, but okay.” He cleared his throat. “Do you have an identification card? Your adventurer card will work.”

“Yeah, it’s right…,” Tafel said before freezing. She sighed as she realized the bag on her waist wasn’t her usual one. “No. No, we don’t.”

“Then the entry fee will be two silver,” the guard said.

Vur frowned. “Can we just throw him away?” he asked as Tafel took two coins out of her bag. “Dragons don’t pay taxes.”

The guard frowned as he tightened his grip on his halberd. “Actually, the holy dragons do pay taxes,” he said. “They were the ones who instated them.”

Vur tilted his head, and Stella copied his action. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Then they’re not dragons.” He snorted and stepped forward as his eyes glowed. An explosion of wind radiated outward from his body, knocking everyone away except for Tafel and Stella. He stepped forward, ignoring the screams, and kicked down the gate before stomping inside.

Tafel groaned as she clutched her head. She tossed the silver coins onto the fallen guard along with a gold coin. “Use that to repair the gate,” she said and sighed. “Sorry. I have to catch up to him before he does anything else.”

The guards didn’t react until after Tafel and Vur had disappeared from view. “You know, I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” one of the guards said as he adjusted his helmet. “But we really don’t get paid enough for this. Yesterday, we were turned into goats. Today, we were beaten down by a party of weirdos. What’ll happen tomorrow?”

“Don’t jinx it,” his companion said with a grimace.

“Vur!” Tafel said and grabbed her husband’s arm. “Why did you do that?”

“They were in our way,” Vur said and blinked. “Why didn’t you do that?”

“That’s not how a leader behaves! You’re nice to people in Konigreich the Second,” Tafel said. “Why aren’t you nice to them here?”

“They’re not my people.”

“Then make them—” Tafel stopped what she was about to say. If she told Vur to make them his people, he might really do it. “Okay. Fine. But still, people are people regardless of whether or not you rule over them.”

“But they’re not my people,” Vur said again and crossed his arms.

“Does that really matter?”