The moon was partially hidden behind a bank of clouds as Kaedros slipped out the window. Kaelith had sent clothes to his room earlier, and he was now dressed in a fitted black tunic and trousers.
Night in Solmere was cold and quiet, with only scattered pockets of light glowing from within homes. Laughter occasionally pierced the silence, drunken voices echoing through the dark.
Kaedros wasted no time. He swung up and climbed swiftly, soon finding himself on the roof. He paused, listening. The inn was silent.
With light, practiced steps, he sprinted across the brick rooftops, leaping from one to the next as he made his way toward the heart of town.
Walking openly through the streets would have been foolish. Not because he was afraid, just cautious. He didn't want anything traced back to him.
"Seems I'm not the only one doing nightly roof runs," Kaedros muttered as he caught sight of a group dressed in black, running across rooftops in the distance.
Before long, he reached the town center and dropped down to the street below. Looming before him was the massive stone structure of the Celestial Order.
Kaedros twisted his mouth, his eyes flashing gold like a beast's in the dark. "This was where I last saw that bastard."
He sniffed the air and immediately regretted it. The atmosphere was thick with the stench of chemicals, blood, and rot. He gagged slightly.
They're not playing around in there.
He caught something else. His eyes narrowed. "Yes... that's Vann's scent right there."
He followed it.
Guided by smell, Kaedros weaved through narrow alleys and quiet lanes. Vann had passed this way not long ago. The scent was still fresh. Then he stopped.
Another scent struck him, thick with death and rage. From an open alley stepped a tall, broad-shouldered human. A wicked grin played on the man's face, and a small knife glinted in his right hand.
"Good evening to you, my joy," the man purred.
Kaedros narrowed his eyes. "That's not my name."
The man chuckled, walking closer. "Of course not. But you might give me joy tonight, don't you think?"
Kaedros frowned. "What joy?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Just focus on making me happy."
Kaedros stared, confused but cautious. Something about the man felt... off. Not just creepy, wrong. And weak. Kaedros scanned his aura. Seriously? A weakling like this dares approach me? He probably thinks I'm ordinary human with all my Draconic energy hidden. '..I do look the part..'
"I'm just going to use your blood, that's all," the man whispered, eyes gleaming. "Maybe if you give me a scream or two?" He shuddered in anticipation, already savoring the imagined sound and the warmth of blood on his fingers.
Kaedros narrowed his eyes. '..now I get it..'
"Are you robbing me?" he asked calmly.
"What?" The man blinked in surprise.
"You know, the part where you tell me to drop everything and step back. I read it in a book and the movies, the news and such. Then maybe you kill the person you're robbing. Right?"
His voice was low, but his tone was sharp enough to cut steel.
The man stared, unsettled. In all his years stalking ordinary humans, none had spoken to him like this. Didn't this boy see the glowing knife? Didn't he know what was coming?
"I want to kill you," the man growled.
Kaedros sighed. "So it's murder, not robbery. Even better. I'm tired of stale human food. I could use something... raw."
He began forming a technique in his mind, a simple light blast. His mana stirred, swirling quietly.
"You can't kill me," Kaedros said, a fanged smile tugging at his lips. "But you will serve a purpose."
"What the hell are you talking about?" the man snapped. "Enough playing around. On the ground!" He raised the glowing blade, its surface now lit with shimmering green light. His most powerful spell, He called it, cutting blade. It burned without flame. It carved flesh like butter. And he'd used it on many screaming victims before.
The man lunged, swiping at Kaedros.
But Kaedros slid aside with effortless grace. "Why me?" he asked with curiosity.
The man hesitated. What kind of question was that?
"You're ordinary human." he spat. "Not an Ascendant. You're weaker than me."
Kaedros gave a slow nod. "Ah. That's how it is everywhere, isn't it? The strong preying on the weak." His gaze sharpened. "Too bad for you... you picked the wrong opponent."
Before the man could respond, Kaedros released his spell.
A white flash. A thunderous crack. The man's head, and chest, vanished in a blinding explosion of bone and blood.
Mana flowed from the man to him but as usual, his Draconic core didn't allow entry.
Kaedros grinned, his fangs fully extended. "Time to feast before continuing the hunt."
It didn't take long. There was a flash of golden light and snout appeared in the night. If one should look into the ally at that time, they would see a Dragon standing awkwardly as it tries to fit into the small space, mouth watering as golden eyes stared at the smoking meat in front of him.
He opened his mouth wide, fangs peeling back.
When he was done, all that remained of the man were glistening white bones, atripped clean. Kaedros looked at himself and smirked. He liked to leave little bits of his food left, like a gentleman.
"I ate without getting any blood on me."
He yawned, belly full and warm.
Now this... this is food.
Raising his nose, he sniffed the air again.
The hunt wasn't over yet.