I Only Tame Dragons

Lydia shook her head, casting a glance at Horizon. "Not yet. Got a little distracted by, uh . . . other things."

Von tilted his head, clearly amused by their odd tension. "Other things, huh? Well, whatever it was, just make sure you\'re ready. The builder\'s top-tier, but they won\'t wait around forever."

Horizon frowned as he browsed the blacksmith\'s wares, his disappointment evident. The shop couldn\'t offer anything better than what he already had.

Still, he made a few purchases — daggers, bombs, potions, and accessories to boost his stats.

Yet, despite the additions, his main gear remained his trusty Bone Armor and dual scimitars.

"Don\'t buy too many items and potions," Lydia said, her grin almost too smug. "They\'ll provide most of that in the competition."

She was grinning from ear to ear, clearly the one who had benefited the most from their shopping spree. Her equipment was brand new — a sleek set of armor, a pair of daggers, a repeating crossbow, quivers packed with arrows, a wicked-looking scythe, and an assortment of accessories.

Nyx hissed from Horizon\'s side, her distrust of Lydia evident. "Don\'t push your luck, woman."

Lydia rolled her eyes, unbothered. "Oh, don\'t be so stingy. Kitting me out benefits you guys too. We need to be in top shape if we\'re going into that competition."

Nyx\'s skeletal arms crossed as she shot back, "Yeah, if you even stick around long enough to make it. What\'s stopping you from running off with all that gear the moment we got out of here?"

Lydia\'s expression darkened, but her voice remained light. "Relax. I\'m not leaving." Not until I get that egg back. She wouldn\'t go anywhere without it.

Meanwhile, Von was busy upgrading his own gear. His armor, battered and broken from his time in Drakha, was swapped out for something sturdier.

He also grabbed a set of pistols, shotguns, rifles, daggers, and some more accessories.

Upgrading their equipment had taken longer than expected and cost them a hefty 50,000 gil.

"Is there a [Spatial Ring] or [Dimensional Pouch] available?" Horizon asked the dwarf behind the counter, hopeful.

The dwarf shook his head. "Sorry, lad. That kind of stuff isn\'t sold in regular shops. You\'d need a Master Alchemist to craft one of those."

"I see . . ." Horizon muttered, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Too bad," Von chimed in. "But maybe we can at least upgrade our backpacks." He purchased larger packs for the group, enough to hold more gear and supplies.

With everything settled, Von clapped his hands. "Alright, let\'s head back to Singing Grove. Those builders might lose patience and leave."

As they stepped outside, five figures awaited them — a mix of dwarves, orcs, and gnolls.

Von introduced them all, but the leader of the group, a grizzled dwarf named Druger, stood out. His eyes were sharp, and his beard was singed at the tips — a sign of a long career in hazardous work.

"Let\'s get moving," Von said, leading the way.

The group made their way back to Singing Grove. By the time they arrived, dusk was falling, and the builders halted the moment they noticed where they were.

Druger squinted at the towering rocks and the open clearing ahead. "Wait . . . you mean you want to build your territory here?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

Horizon nodded, not seeing the issue. "Beautiful right? It\'s like a paradise here with the trees, flowers and streams."

Druger\'s face paled. "But this is harpy territory!" His voice rose, eyes wide with concern. "No one dares build here. Much less pass here! It\'s suicide!"

Lydia shrugged nonchalantly, her hands resting on her hips. "I told these two idiots about the risk. But they didn\'t listen."

The other builders shifted nervously, their eyes darting between the sky and the surrounding rocks, searching for any sign of harpies.

"You didn\'t tell us about this!" Druger turned to Von, his voice growing more frantic. "The harpies are dangerous! We can\'t stay here — we have to leave before they notice us."

"Hold up!" Von raised his hands in a calming gesture. "You don\'t need to worry about the harpies. They\'re not going to be a problem."

"That\'s right. It\'s Von who\'ll be the real problem, always chasing after the ladies," Cappy chirped with a snicker.

Von was unfazed, and swatted the tiny creature aside with a flick of his finger and turned to the anxious builders. "Relax. We wouldn\'t have picked this spot if it\'s dangerous. You\'ve got nothing to worry about."

Druger looked unconvinced, his hands trembling as he gestured to the treetops. "What do you mean? The Radiant Church, guilds, adventurers — they all avoid this place. You\'re telling me we\'ll be safe? No way!"

Lydia stepped up, patting the dwarf on the shoulder with an exaggerated sigh. "Relax, old man. Horizon here already torched a few of them. They ran off, terrified. You won\'t be seeing them again anytime soon."

The builders exchanged nervous glances, their eyes widening as they looked at Horizon. He was young, far too young to have dealt with harpies, especially the kind that even knights and paladins struggled against.

Yet, here he was, supposedly the one responsible for driving them off.

Druger still wasn\'t convinced. He crossed his arms, his brows furrowed as he studied Horizon. "Are you sure about this? Because if those harpies come back, we\'ll be the first ones they tear apart."

Horizon leaned toward Von, his voice low. "What are we going to do? They look like they\'re ready to bolt."

"We need to make an example of the harpies," Nyx suggested, her voice cold as ice. "Destroy their nests, and burn them once and for all."

"HoOold up! That\'s kind of extreme isn\'t it?" Lydia said.

Suddenly, the air shifted.

~WhoOosHh!~