I Only Tame Dragons

Lydia scanned the area, her eyes darting left and right before she motioned for Horizon to follow her through a maze of the narrowed corridors.

"What's got you so jumpy?" Horizon asked, noticing Lydia's heightened caution.

A hood now obscured her face, casting shadows over her beautiful features.

"She's a wanted woman, remember?" Nyx chimed in casually. "Of course, she's on edge."

"SsHh!" Lydia hissed, pressing a finger to her lips, her eyes squinting. "Keep it quiet. And when we get to the underground market, I'll do the talking. Got it?"

Horizon shrugged. "No problem, as long as the goods get sold and we walk away with gil. Gil is gold. And gold's always good."

Lydia shot a glance at Horizon. His obsession with gold and treasure was just like Nyx's — then again, who wasn't obsessed with wealth? She couldn't judge. She was the same.

They arrived at a hidden alley, stopping in front of what looked like a rundown, forgotten inn. Its wooden sign creaked ominously in the wind, barely hanging on by a rusty chain. The windows were so dust-covered they might as well have been blacked out.

Inside, the innkeeper — a tall, heavyset Orc woman — was elbow-deep in flour, kneading dough as if it was the most important task in the world. Her muscular arms flexed with each twist of the pie crust she was preparing.

Lydia approached her without hesitation and spoke quietly but clearly.

"SushiSundaysAreSacred."

The Orc didn't bother looking up, didn't flinch. She continued her work, casually reaching for a small knife on the counter.

Without missing a beat, she flicked it across the room. The blade spun through the air and buried itself dead center in the bull's-eye of a dartboard on the far wall.

With a low creak, a hidden door slid open behind the counter.

"Let's move," Lydia muttered, already stepping through the entrance, her footsteps steady.

Horizon followed, wide-eyed with a mix of amazement and curiosity. His gaze flicked between the Orc woman — who calmly went back to preparing her pie — and the doorway leading underground.

He shook his head in wonder.

"So, that's how they run things here in Eternia," Nyx mused, a sly grin curling on her lips. "Maybe I should add a secret password to my lair next."

Horizon raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Nyx tapped her chin, eyes gleaming with thought. "Hmm . . . how about this: MyGoldMyTreasureTillTheEndOfTime! Dramatic enough, right?

Definitely fits a dragon's vibe."

Horizon just shook his head, and didn't comment. Nyx's grin widened, clearly enjoying herself.

As they descended the narrow staircase, the air thickened with the musky scent of damp earth and secret dealings. Dim torches cast flickering shadows on the stone walls, giving the place an eerie, forgotten feel.

"An actual underground market . . . who would knew?" Horizon commented.

Low murmurs and the sounds of clinking coins drifted toward them as they reached the bottom.

Lydia pushed open a heavy door, revealing a bustling world beneath the surface. The space was huge, like an ancient cave turned black market.

Rows of stalls and makeshift shops were scattered across the room, selling everything from forbidden items to black-market potions.

Odd creatures — half-hidden in cloaks or masks — bartered with shadowy figures, exchanging things that would be confiscated in any above-ground trade.

"It's like a hidden world," Horizon muttered, taking it all in.

Nyx's eyes sparkled with excitement, her head swiveling in every direction. "You humans . . . always finding ways to make bad ideas work."

Lydia forced a smile. "Call it resourcefulness."

They wasted no time, quickly selling off their goods at one of the discreet stalls. The payout wasn't as high as they had hoped, but considering the shady nature of the market, it was still something.

Gold exchanged hands, and while Horizon looked a bit disappointed, they both knew that in a place like this, you take what you can get.

Horizon couldn't take his eyes off the gold bullion in his palms. A blissful sense of peace washed over him at the sight, the weight of the bars comforted his soul.

His dragon blood was reaching out to the treasures and he could understand Nyx's obsession with them . . . somewhat.

With over a hundred thousand gil from selling their items, they'd struck gold — literally. Each bullion was worth a thousand gil, a small fortune resting in Horizon's palms.

"These are heavy," Lydia remarked, her expression shifting as she stared at the gleaming gold bars. Her nose twitched, a smile creeping onto her face. "And they smell amazing."

Nyx zoomed in, swatting Lydia's cheeks. "These are mine! Don't even think about it."

"Stingy!" Lydia pouted, sticking out her tongue.

As they prepared to leave, Horizon glanced back at the market, the flicker of greed still burning in his eyes.

Lydia caught it and shook her head slightly. "Don't get any ideas," she warned. "We've got enough trouble on our hands if you mess with the people here."

"Shouldn't we at least pick something up? These items look rare," Horizon asked, eyes lingering on a gleaming dagger at one of the stalls.

Lydia exhaled, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Trust me, that's a bad idea. Everything here's overpriced and more trouble than it's worth. Half of this stuff is stolen or illegal — you buy it, you inherit its history. We're better off dealing topside. Safer, and no one comes looking for their 'lost' treasure."

With the gold bullion packed away, they left the underground market, ascending the narrow steps back to the surface. Horizon couldn't shake his curiosity and turned to Lydia.

"If your stats are only in the hundreds, does that mean you came here recently . . . from the ARK?"

Lydia nodded, her expression softening. "Not from the ARK. I'm a half-breed — born here in Eternia."

"I figured," Horizon said, the pieces clicking together. So, he was right — she was a half-breed.

Lydia eyed him curiously. "But if your stats are already in the 300s, you must've been here way longer than me. So, why do you act like such a noob?"

Horizon's lips tightened. He didn't feel like spilling his secrets to someone he'd just met.

Catching the shift in his demeanor, Lydia gave a casual shrug. "It's cool. You don't have to tell me. Von said you're human, but I don't buy that. No way you're full human. You don't look like it."

Horizon stayed silent, letting her think what she wanted.