I Only Tame Dragons

Horizon\'s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his scimitar. "Looks like they heard you." he told Nyx.

"Perfect. We\'ll round them up and wipe them out, once and for all. After that, there won\'t be any need to share this territory with anyone," she told him back.

The builders froze, eyes wide in terror as dark shadows moved across the sky, blotting out the last rays of sunlight.

The sound of wings flapping echoed through the clearing as several harpies descended from the treetops, their screeches piercing the air.

Druger\'s face drained of color. "Gods . . . they\'re here!"

Von stepped forward, unshaken. "Let\'s be calm and listen to what they want first."

The harpies circled above, their sharp talons gleaming as they prepared to descend.

Druger and the others jumped over to the nearest pile of woods and hid there while Horizon and Von stood their ground.

"Where did that woman go?" Nyx growled, scanning the surroundings when she noticed Lydia was nowhere to be seen. Her gaze finally landed on the thief cowering behind a pile of logs with Druger and the other builders.

Nyx clicked her tongue in irritation. "Tsk, useless."

"My stats are low! I\'ll be easy prey, and those harpies will snatch me up in no time. I\'ll only be a hindrance," Lydia defended, her eyes darting between Nyx and the harpies flying overhead.

Nyx shot her a glare. "If you\'re going to act like that, what good are you in the upcoming competition?" Her tone was sharp, cutting through the tension.

"They\'re harpies! At least one of them has the same stats as me, and there are multiples of them. I\'d just slow you down!" Lydia snapped back, her voice tinged with fear.

"Useless," Nyx muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

"Wait," Von interjected, squinting up at the approaching flock. "I don\'t think they\'re here to fight."

The harpies descended gracefully, their wings spreading wide as they landed on the ground. Contrary to everyone\'s expectations, they didn\'t attack. Instead, they kneeled, their heads bowed low.

"We need your help, adventurers," one of them pleaded.

A stunned silence filled the air. Druger and the others exchanged confused glances, while Horizon and Von furrowed their brows in disbelief.

"Hah? After attacking us, you want our help?" Nyx sneered, crossing her tiny skeletal arms. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

The harpies remained on their knees, and a woman with short, violet hair stepped forward. Her expression was solemn as she addressed the group.

"You can have our territory. We\'ll leave and never bother you again, but please . . . help us with one request."

Nyx\'s lip curled into a sneer. "How convenient. Feels like a trap to me."

"Let\'s hear them out first," Von suggested.

Cappy snickered from the back, "You just want to impress the ladies, don\'t you?"

"Quiet, you," Von shot back before turning to the violet-haired woman. He cleared his throat, attempting to sound more composed. "My name is Von, young lady."

"I\'m Violet," she responded softly, glancing nervously at Nyx and Horizon.

"Now tell me, Violet, what is it you want our help with?" Von asked, sounding gentlemanly.

"Don\'t ask too much, Von," Cappy warned with a grin. "You know how you are with the ladies. They might just snatch you up and fly away."

Violet shook her head fervently. "We mean no harm. The truth is, our priestess was kidnapped months ago by the Lizardfolk. We\'ve tried everything to rescue her but failed. When we saw you, we thought . .

. with your help, we might finally have a chance to bring her back."

"Do they even have a priestess?" Horizon asked, half to himself.

Lydia suddenly appeared beside him, surprising him. "They do. She\'s their queen. Harpies follow a matriarch."

Nyx scoffed, unimpressed. "And now you show up when there\'s no immediate threat?"

Horizon stepped forward. "How do we know you\'re telling the truth? How do we know this isn\'t just a trap?"

Violet nodded quickly. "We understand your concerns. That\'s why some of us will stay behind as hostages. We can even form a [Blood Contract] if it\'ll ease your worries."

At the mention of the Blood Contract, the tension shifted. It was a powerful pact, bound by magic — breaking it would mean certain death for those who violated its terms.

Nyx\'s wings flared as she floated toward them, her eyes glowing menacingly. "Actually, I don\'t see why we should help you at all. We could just wipe out your entire flock and take your land. Why risk walking into what might be a trap?"

Von winced at Nyx\'s harshness and tried to intervene. "Nyx, let\'s not jump to extreme measures . . ."

"Shut up!" Nyx hissed, and Von snapped his mouth shut, standing rigidly at attention.

Nyx\'s gaze swept over the harpies again. "I\'m in charge here, and I see no reason to waste our time rescuing your priestess. For all we know, you\'re just making it all up. Better to end this now than risk venturing into the unknown."

"I hate to say it, but Nyx has a point," Lydia muttered under her breath.

The harpies trembled, some of them young and frail, others elderly. It was clear they had no fight left in them.

Before Nyx could issue her final verdict, Horizon stepped in. "Hold on. Before we make a decision, I have one important question. Your answer will decide your fate."

Violet swallowed nervously. "W-what is it?"

Horizon paused, his eyes glowing an eerily blue light. "This priestess of yours . . . what\'s her stat range?"

Violet blinked in confusion. "Stat range?"

"That\'s right," Horizon said, his expression unreadable.

Violet hesitated for a moment before answering. "She\'s young, but her stats are already in the 100-200 range. She\'s the most powerful among us."

Horizon and Von exchanged a knowing glance, a grin spreading across their faces.

"Looks like we\'ve found our fourth member," Horizon declared, his voice filled with finality.

The harpies\' faces lit up with hope, but Horizon wasn\'t finished. "However," he added, his tone sharp, "once we rescue her, she will no longer belong to you. She will belong to us."

The harpies\' expressions fell, their relief turning to shock. Druger and the builders stared in disbelief, while Lydia\'s mouth dropped open.

"Whoa, when you put it like that, it sounds like you\'re making a slave contract," Von commented, shaking his head.

Nyx burst into laughter, clapping her tiny hands. "Oh, I like this! Good thinking, servant. Make them your servants too! Kee kee kee!"

"If you don\'t agree," Horizon said, his voice low and threatening, "we won\'t help you. Your choice — see her alive as our servant, or watch her die in the Lizardfolk\'s hands."

The harpies took a step back, fear gripping them. They realized too late — they had made a terrible mistake. These adventurers were far more dangerous than they\'d ever imagined, perhaps even more so than the Lizardfolk themselves.