Baekhyun sniffed with disdain as the scent of cattle and hay danced on the breeze sweeping over his company, filling the air with a dank must that he found quite distasteful. I should have sent Chanyeol to this blasted ranching town. This is no place for a prince; it’s far beneath my dignity to consort with these pathetic ranchers! He thought disgustedly as he continued to guide his destrier along the dirt road, holding the reins high and easing the massive warhorse down the sharp incline that led to the collection of open plains and farmsteads below. It was midday, and so the sun blazing down from the cloudless blue sky did little to improve Baekhyun’s mood; he had made the mistake of wearing a black tunic, and so the heat was stifling. His warriors, many dressed in shining plates and helmets, were faring similarly. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I’ll be pleased, he thought with a snort as his horse’s hooves touched down on the smooth path leading into the village.

On either side of the large road were gigantic properties surrounded by crude wooden fences, expanses of open fields where long-horned cattle grazed. Here and there, a ranching dog bounded between their stout legs, herding them to their masters’ desired location. Many of the ranchers gave Baekhyun a sidelong glance as he and his company strode by, but he paid them no mind; his destination was fixed at the collection of shops and administrative buildings where the fields converged, where he would likely find the information he was so desperately seeking. He glanced over as one of the ranchers climbed onto a horse and took off with haste towards the township, likely to warn whoever was in charge of the princeling’s coming arrival.

“Warn them all you like,” he scoffed. “It won’t save you from what’s coming if you defy me.”

As expected, when his company reached the small plaza of the town, a crowd had already gathered. They were dressed even more modestly that the citizens of the last town, plain brown rags that were caked with months- perhaps years- of dust and grass from the spacious fields. Many wore wide-brimmed hats to shield their faces from the intense sun, but the rest of their skin was leathery and brown, a testament to the long days ranching and quite a contrast to Baekhyun’s soft, lightly colored skin associated with a life in comfort. Holding his head high, he halted his destrier in front of a man clad in a crude leather plate, holding a pitchfork that still had bits of hay sticking to its pronged ends. Unimpressed, Baekhyun gazed down at him levelly.

“Greetings, lordling,” the man snorted as he glared up at the young prince. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Come to see how the livestock are doin’?” A chorus of raucous laughter swept across the crowd, and for the sake of preventing mass slaughter and looting, Baekhyun remained level-headed and allowed the remark to pass. However, his mood was already foul, and his patience was wearing thin in the suffocating heat.

“I am here regarding information concerning the dragon that sleeps in these lands. God or not, he has committed a crime of the highest order, and his punishment has been handed to me by the king to administer,” Baekhyun explained coolly, circling the pitchfork-bearing man with his massive horse. He could see sweat beading on the man’s brow, and he smirked, delighted that he was intimidating the pathetic leader. “By royal decree you are ordered to turn over any and all information you have concerning its whereabouts. I was told a red-haired man believed to be an agent of the dragon frequents this place. Is he here now?” he demanded. A ripple of discomfort shuffled through the group of ranchers.

“It is true, he comes often,” the man answered lowly. “However, we ain’t seen him ‘round these parts for near a month.” Baekhyun halted his horse in front of him, drawing his sword and holding it to the man’s throat to gently ease the man’s chin up so that he could stare him in the eyes. The crowd gasped, and he heard dissent begin rippling through its ranks. His knights drew their swords, barking at them to remain in their place lest they be slain for interfering with the king’s command. Oblivious to the ruckus, Baekhyun gazed levelly into the fearful man’s eyes.

“I believe you,” he smirked finally, lowering his sword. The man breathed a shaky sigh of relief, his eyes darting over the squadron of knights pointing their weapons at his villagers. “Do you have any idea where he might be?” he asked lightly.

“N-no, sir,” he stammered quietly. “He’s a roamer, you see- comes and goes as he pleases. Like the wind, he is. He can be in one town, and then the next day he’s leagues and leagues away. No one knows where he will be next,” he explained timidly. Baekhyun listened quietly, absorbing the information.

“I see,” he responded vaguely, lost in thought as the pieces in his head began to click together, one by one. There are still a few links missing, but I’m beginning to see the picture more clearly now… he thought with a mild frown. “However, I cannot have come all this way to leave empty-handed,” he sighed heavily, and he smirked with satisfaction as a look of terror passed over the ranching mayor’s face. Baekhyun hopped down from his horse, and by reflex the man took a hesitant step back; however, Baekhyun only began to pace, his hands clasped neatly behind his back as he pondered what else he could squeeze out of the pathetic man.

“This red-haired man. Tell me of him,” he asked.

“Ah, yes, my lord,” he nodded eagerly. Pathetic. So fearful of his life. Have a spine, the prince thought in contempt. “He’s a rough fellow. Anyone foolish enough to have challenged him to a fight has lost. Even ten-to-one, the man has come out victorious without a scratch on ‘im,” he described. “Yet he’s mild-mannered if you approach him respectfully, never has an ill word about anyone. Real popular with the ladies, but he’s always let ‘em down easy- says he’s got a particular girl he’s real soft on, and no matter how beautiful a dame approaches him, he always refuses ‘em.”

“Sounds like a real gentleman,” Baekhyun sneered, and his company of knights laughed rudely around him. “Tell me more- his habits, what he comes for.”

“Ah, right,” he nodded. “He’s not a real heavy drinker- he’s a crafty man. Always frequentin’ bars and such, but never gets drunk himself. He sits and listens, gatherin’ rumors from the far corners of the land. Likely, he knows you’re onto him and has been careful of your movements, so that’s why you can’t find ‘im.” At this, Baekhyun’s patience wavered for a moment, and he angrily whipped out the dagger he had stolen from Kai in the previous town and pointed it threateningly at the man.

“Are you doubting me?” he snapped hotly. The man squeaked in terror, holding his sweaty hands up in a sign of surrender.

“O-of course not, my lord!” the man yelped, cowering at the intensity of Baekhyun’s glare. “J-just making a conjecture, that’s all. I’m sure he has no idea of your tracking capability, and you’ll corner him soon enough.” Baekhyun huffed and slowly replaced the dagger to the sheath inside his tunic, straightening himself up. He nodded for the man to proceed. “As for what he comes here for, that would be cattle, my lord. He’ll take four or five of ‘em, pay us real nice, and then be on his way. Never known what he does with ‘em, but if it is true that he’s the dragon’s agent, then perhaps it’s not that hard to figure out,” he laughed nervously, staring at the place where Baekhyun had stowed the knife. Baekhyun stepped back, carefully considering all that the man had told him.

A red-haired man who can travel from town to town in days, regardless of distance… One who knows the sword quite well and has a knight’s demeanor… Who seeks only information and the occasional meal for his lord. Perhaps he is not an agent at all, but this marauder and his dragon lord are actually one and the same.

“What is this man’s name?” Baekhyun asked suddenly. Astonished by the request, the man stared at him, and the crowd lapsed into uneasy silence. Baekhyun whirled on the man, glowering. “His name! Tell me now!” he snapped.

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry!” the man cried as he regained his senses. To appease the lord, he bowed his head repeatedly, and the pathetic gesture did satiate Baekhyun’s wrath, for the moment. “Lucky for you, I happened to have a conversation with the lad once. His name struck such a chord that I could never forget it. It was the name of young Jang-mii’s ex-husband-to-be: Kris, believe it or not. Mighty ironic,” he explained hastily. Baekhyun could not help the vile grin that slowly played across his lips as he found that his theory had finally been strung together.

Kris… Blast, that whelp managed to survive the witch but has been cursed as a dragon ever since… When he caught wind that I was to marry Jang-mii, the poor bastard was so afraid of his love being lost to him forever that he swooped in and stole her away… Not to mention, I’m sure he’s not too happy of the way I’ve been treating the princess’ country the last year… Not that the ridiculously oblivious royal family knows anything about that, and I prefer to keep it that way until this country is mine, he thought with a diabolical smirk. While the man was nervously pondering the nature of Baekhyun’s victorious grin, the prince abruptly drew his sword and pointed it at the mayor. As the crowd surged to intervene, the knights beat them back.

“Thank you for your cooperation. However, as the future king, I am afraid that I cannot allow this establishment to remain standing any longer,” he grinned evilly as he prodded the man in the belly. He stumbled back onto his behind, scrabbling backwards as he desperately attempted to escape the mad prince. The pitchfork he had been brandishing so brashly moments ago clattered onto the uneven pavement ground.

“Wh-whatever do you mean? We have done nothing but serve our king faithfully!” he stammered. His voice was shrill, like a girl’s, with fear. It was quite unbecoming of the large man.

“Yes, you have served your king. However, I will soon be overtaking that role, as soon as the princess returns safely to her castle. That dragon you villagers so foolishly protect and serve is a threat to my right to rule, so I will have to cast him out, posthaste. I will not have pathetic, backwoods, lowly little hole-in-the-wall villagers be supplying this beast during my campaign against him. You’ve been feeding him, haven’t you? Well, I have news for you- that’s called treason.” The man pleaded pitifully for his life as Baekhyun backed him against the concrete stairs of the small, brick-and-mortar town hall.

“P-please… Have mercy!” the man quivered as Baekhyun raised his sword above his head. There was no compassion in the prince’s eyes as he stared expressionlessly down at him.

“Mercy? I am giving you mercy,” he frowned, holding the sword aloft for a brief moment. Then, a sick grin twisted his features. “I’m ridding you of this pathetic existence. That, you ungrateful peasant, is merciful.” The air sung as Baekhyun’s blade ripped through the air, slicing through the man’s neck with one clean blow and splattering the white stone stairs with red blood. As he fell limp against the steps, the plaza erupted into chaos as the citizens scattered in all directions in an attempt to escape the mad prince’s wrath. Coolly, Baekhyun wiped the impure blood from his sword on the man’s pants leg, turning to his knights. “Kill them all- all but one, a young male. Bring him to me. Make sure he’s of good stature and health- he’ll be running an errand for me. If any of the others escape, however, my plans will be ruined. Oh- but if you find a pretty young thing, bring her to me, will you? That barmaid bores me. All she does is cry. I’ll let Chanyeol have her when he returns, if I can put up with her whining for that long,” he sighed as he hopped up the white steps and plopped down in front of the oaken doors to watch the carnage.

“Yes, Lord Baekhyun!” the chimed in unison before whipping their horses into action, riding down the fleeing villages. A smile curled onto the prince’s lips as he watched building after building erupt in flames, and the chorus of screams echoing through the air. Yes. Burn it all, every last bit of this pathetic village… Soon, all the wilds will be in flames, ripe for the taking so I can build the empire my father dreamed of. Once I have Jang-mii’s country and resources, the entire world will be mine for the taking! He thought as he cackled with laughter, simply elated by his own villainy.

“Once that dragon prince catches wind of this, he’ll be sure to fly right into my clutches,” Baekhyun snickered to himself. His dark eyes traveled to the plains, which were being stampeded by the cattle, frightened by the flames. Some of them charged through the fencing, disappearing into the dark woods and likely into the jaws of wolves and other predators. Horses darted through the burly cows, picking off any villagers who had thought to make their escape among the herd. The carnage lasted until sunset, and at last his knights trickled back into the plaza, breathless from the adrenaline surge of battle and grins plastered on their battle-worn faces. A few of them held unconscious girls under their arms, much to the prince’s pleasure, but his third-in-command and current leader of his company sent his horse trotting up, tossing a boy Baekhyun’s age at the base of the blood-splattered steps. He landed before the slain body of his mayor, and recoiled in disgust at the sight of the corpse.

“I should hope this one pleases you, my lord,” the knight called to his prince, holding the horse steady. The boy was cornered with the giant destrier behind and the moody prince in front; luckily for him, Baekhyun’s plans hinged on his life being spared. The prince rose, calmly descended the steps to stand in front of the terrified boy.

“What’s your name?” he inquired as he inspected the boy. Indeed, he fit Baekhyun’s desired description; a lean physique, hardened by work in the fields, and prime age, not even in his twenties, most likely. Yes, he’ll do nicely.

“Chen, sir,” the boy replied meekly. He yelped as Baekhyun planted his sword into the gap between two cobblestones.

“What are you? A stable boy?” he asked with disdain.

“Aye, sir, for the mayor, I was…” he murmured as he glanced at his deceased master.

“I am your master now,” he barked, causing the frightened boy to jerk his attention back to the prince lest he bring upon his quick temper. “You’re going to send a message for me.”

“A-a message, sire?” he squeaked. “Sire,” eh? The boy gets it. I might even find use for him when his errand is done… Baekhyun thought as the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile, pleased by the title.

“Yes. I want you to travel between the local villages, every one you can reach, and make an announcement for this red-haired traveler,” he grinned evilly. “Let it be known that I am on the hunt for his dragon lord, and that there is no corner of this earth that this beast can hide from me. For every week that he dares not show his scaled face, I will destroy a village and kill the people who worship him so. If he is indeed guardian of these lands, then he should face me; until then, I will wage war and terror on his beloved wilds that rivals the wars of old!” he swore angrily. Chen nodded fearfully, and Baekhyun signaled for a knight to bring him a spare horse. “Take care that you do not betray me and seek the comfort of your king,” he added as the boy scrambled onto the horse. With a nod, the boy snapped the reins and spurred his horse out of the plaza, rocketing into the woods.

“Should we follow him, my lord?” one of the knights suggested.

“Yes, take a small party and see that he remains faithful. Also, slay any messengers that are sent to the capital. I would prefer this remain unknown to the king,” he commanded. With a smirk, he added, “You know, he is so troubled by his daughter’s disappearance… The fate of his kingdom is at stake.” As laughter swept through the group of knights, three of them shot off after Baekhyun’s messenger, per his command. Baekhyun sighed and leaned heavily on his sword, suddenly exhausted from the strain of the sun and from giving so many orders. He drew his sword from the cobblestone, sheathing it and climbing onto his horse. “We ride until we find a good place to camp,” he commanded to his remaining knights, shouting over the crackle of the lingering flames. He smirked slightly. Then I’ll enjoy the company of those sweet young girls they rounded up for me… It’s too bad they’re commoners, I can only stand the sight of them for so long. Ugh, if that prince hadn’t interfered, I could be bedding Jang-mii right now… She may be as naïve and disgustingly optimistic as they come, but I can’t deny that the girl is ravishingly beautiful. Perhaps I’ll keep Kris alive after all… It would be so entertaining to see him suffer knowing that I’m the one sleeping with her! He thought, laughing to himself as he snapped his horse into motion. He left the smoldering village behind, continuing north and closer to his target.

It’ll serve him right… No one interferes with my plans without being punished appropriately- and punish you I will, you young dragon lord… Just you wait…