Seated beneath the sprawling oak tree that grew alongside the wide dirt road, Baekhyun glowered as he tapped his foot in irritation while his company fed and watered the horses. He was in a foul mood; his beautiful barmaid he had picked up in the guild town had seduced one of the lesser-ranking soldiers and run off with him in the dark of night, leaving the prince with little entertainment to occupy him on the hunt for the dragon and his princess. He had sent a hunting party after them, to slaughter the deserter and retrieve his prize, but only one of them had returned, beaten and bloody and half-dead on his feet. Baekhyun made sure he didn’t live much longer. Furthermore, he had heard no word from Chanyeol, and he wondered if the feisty soldier had bitten off more than he could chew and gotten himself killed. Baekhyun admired his lieutenant’s ferocious temper and bloodlust, but when kept unchecked, it was more of a liability than an asset. On top of that, the trail of the red-haired outlaw had all but gone cold, and so Baekhyun's battalion had been meandering listlessly across the wilds, with only wild beasts to keep them busy. There had been no towns, no settlements, not even a lone cabin in the woods.

Thus, Baekhyun's rage had reached a boiling point.

As he sat in the shade, baking in his gilded armor, he stabbed his stolen dagger repeatedly into moist ground. Blades of grass and chunks of dirt flew as he gouged deep into the earth. He imagined it was the little traitor who had run off with his paramour, or Kris, who had stolen Jang-mii and all but ruined his grand scheme to acquire the country. It’s just my luck that a dead man would ruin my great plan! He pouted as he drove the sharp knife hilt-deep into the ground, and he grew frustrated that it took him a minute to pull it back out again. When I find him, I’ll make sure he’s dead, for good. His chance at the throne has passed. It is my time!

“My Lord,” came a sudden call, and the prince glanced up with a scowl as one of his middle-ranking officers approached. Sensing his foul mood, the soldier went to his knees and bowed his head before addressing the royal. “One of the scouts has reported a mining town not too far from here. What course of action would you like to take? We can dispatch more scouts to gather inform-"

“Nonsense. The whole company goes,” Baekhyun interrupted as he jumped to his feet, armor clanking as he sheathed the dagger and marched for his destrier. Finally, something to do! He thought as he climbed onto the giant horse's back. The rest of his small army was scrambling to pack up the crude camp as Baekhyun dug his heels into his steed's side and sent it galloping down the road. He was bored out of his mind, and had no time to wait on the bumbling buffoons. He left them in a cloud of dust and scrambling after the startled horses.

After a while, they caught up to him, but had enough sense not to comment on his boldness. He squirmed in his saddle as he led the column of soldiers, their armor glinting magnificently as they rode under the summer sun. Baekhyun wanted nothing more than to tear off the metal suit and ride in nothing but his tunic, but he had to keep up appearances. As the temperature rose, so did his anger, and by the time the mining town came into view on the horizon he was practically emanating rage. His soldiers kept well clear of him, or perhaps it was just the horses shying away from the volatile man.

As they rode into the town, the sound of ringing hammers was the first thing he noticed. It echoed all around him, drifting out of the numerous blacksmith shops that filled the area. Smoke poured out from the chimneys, filling the air with it’s acrid odor, and Baekhyun raised an arm to cover his mouth and nose with disgust. Occasionally he could catch a glimpse of the burly men, sweating profusely as they bent over the anvil hammering swords and axes with precision and care. Their apprentices ran to and fro with tools and other necessities, but stopped to gawk as the impressive column of soldiers advanced solemnly down the dirt road. As they pressed on through the town, they began to garner more attention, and the townspeople peered out of their windows and peeped out of their doors. Children beamed and pointed, but their mothers soon hid them away behind their skirts, staring at the prince apprehensively.

They disgusted him. They were dirty, dressed in rags, even more shabby than the pathetic farming town he had razed to the ground not too long ago. He knew commoners were necessary for a vast country to function, by why were they so unsightly to look upon? He would make it a law when he came into office that no commoner would be allowed in the castle, or even within half a mile of it. They were disgusting, and he would be damned if their poor hygiene lowered the standard of his lavish home. That blasted king allows them to exist in such a way? How disgraceful. I’ll bring order and class to this laughable excuse of a kingdom. They will be grateful!

He was so busy daydreaming about his glorious rule that he wasn’t really paying attention, and he didn’t see the young boy run out into the street until the rock smashed into his face. The horse reared and threw him, sending him flying. He landed roughly in the dirt street, while his horse pranced around him and his soldiers scrambled into some sort of formation around him. He jerked stiffly to his feet and wrenched his sword free of its scabbard, fuming. “Get out of the way!” He roared as he shoved past the horses, stomping past his soldiers. The boy looked terrified now, and was attempting to run away, but an armored knight caught him roughly by the arm and dragged him through the dirt to throw him at Baekhyun's feet. The prince slammed his booted foot into the boy's chest so hard that he began coughing violently. “You little . Do you know what the penalty is for openly attacking your future king? Do you?” he hissed. Blood ran into Baekhyun’s eye where the rock had struck him, making it sting terribly, and that just angered him further. Enraged, he slashed the boy's cheek open, ripping it from his upper lip to his ear. He screamed in agony as the wound began gushing blood, but Baekhyun wanted him to suffer more, more, for such a transgression.

“I’m thorry,” he squeaked with a mouth full of blood.

“Oh, you will be. I’m going to stick you so full of holes they won’t be able to recognize you!” He snarled as he raised the sword high above his head.

“Wait! Please!” came a startled cry, and Baekhyun instinctively halted to glance up. An older man was shoving his way through the crowd that had gathered. He was obviously a miner, as he was covered in rock dust and was muscular from long, hard days digging in the mountain. “Please, that’s my son. Spare him!” He begged as he fell to his knees in the dirt, and Baekhyun had to admit that he enjoyed seeing the larger, rugged man groveling before him. The prince straightened up slightly as the man began to cry, begging repeatedly for the little punk's life. The townspeople are stared at them with wide eyes, holding their breath as they waited to see what he would do. His anger dissipated slowly as he forced himself to calm down and think clearly. Killing the boy was probably not wise, as the entire company was currently surrounded by what could easily become an angry mob. Plus, this was the chief mining town in the country, and destroying it in a battle would be a serious blow to the kingdom he would soon inherit.

“Very well,” Baekhyun said as he slowly sheathed the sword, stepping off of the boy. Sobbing, he held his ripped face as he stumbled over to his father. “I hope you discipline him accordingly. The next time he pulls a stunt like that, they may not be so generous…” he smirked. The man nodded vigorously as he dragged the boy into the crowd, disappearing to give the boy medical attention. Baekhyun grumpily brushed the dirt from his armor. I should have killed him, but at least he'll have a nice scar to remind him to tread more carefully in front of his future king. After making himself presentable once more, he turned to climb back onto his destrier. As he threw himself back onto the massive horse and situated himself comfortably into the saddle, he combed a few fingers through his hair sulkily. These villagers need to learn discipline. I’ll have to enact a few programs when I ascend the throne… I can’t have such unruly, brutish subjects. It’s a wonder Jang-mii and her family haven’t been assassinated yet. “Where will I find your leader?” he shouted at the crowd. They stared at him dumbly, making him roll his eyes.

He snapped his fingers, and instantly all his spearmen had the tips of their weapons pointing at the throats of the surrounding commoners. “It’s a simple question. Where will I find your leader?” he demanded. His anger was returning rapidly, due to the blasted sun and common sense keeping him from slaying the little bastard like he had wanted to. He drove the horse in a circle, just beyond the edge of the crowd, the spearmen lifting their weapons as he rode underneath. He glared at each of the villagers in turn, waiting for them to respond. Slowly, the crowd parted and they pointed down the road to a building made of rough grey stone. “Thank you,” he smirked curtly, and then spurred his horse towards the administrative building. The people coughed as the horse's hooves kicked up dust, and they hastily backed into their houses as the company took off after him.

It’s a pity this town is necessary. The people here are so rude that they need to be taught a lesson. He knew it would be a mistake to do so, however, so he would settle for something else later.

The leader of the mining establishment was waiting impatiently for the prince on the steps of the building, arms crossed and expression stony. He was surprisingly small, considering the population of burly men the town seemed to boast; he was purely an bureaucrat, it appeared, fair-skinned, well-kempt, with lightly toned muscle that indicated her studied the blade rather than the hammer and anvil. It hung at his side, a smallsword that looked more like a letter opener than a true blade. Small sword for a small man, he thought in amusement as he halted his company and swung down from his horse.

“Greetings, Prince Baekhyun,” the man said coolly. “I did not imagine that your search for the dragon would bring you here.”

“I’m afraid my trail has run dry,” he admitted with equal chill in his tone. “Yours is the first town I’ve stumbled upon in near a week.”

“Ah, about time for you to destroy another one, isn’t it?” the man responded icily. Baekhyun had been keeping true to his threat, burning towns and settlements once a week. He concentrated on small ones, pathetic structures that barely had any use in his future empire, but large enough to cause enough ruin and suffering that Kris would feel pressured to come out of hiding. The prince grinned as he recalling the spectacular display of flames and the symphony of screams in the smoke-filled air. “I hope you’re not intending to make my city your next target,” the man growled.

“Of course not,” Baekhyun mused. “Lucky for you, this city is much to valuable. I’m not stupid enough to destroy the greatest exporter of iron and jewels,” he added with a steely tone, indicating that he would not suffer insult without repercussions. The man was close in age to him, and though he was obviously trained with the blade, he doubted that he held a candle to the prince. Baekhyun rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared to draw it if things grew ugly. “By the way, it’s rude not to introduce yourself when addressing your future king,” he added with a smirk. The man’s eye twitched in annoyance, but he bowed his head stiffly.

“Apologies. My name is Kyungsoo,” he muttered through gritted teeth. Baekhyun had struck the man's pride, which he enjoyed greatly. “So, then. What does bring you here… my Lord?” he choked out. It was so obvious that bowing down to the young prince was hard for him, and seeing him squirm amused Baekhyun. He just loved it when people were forced to realize they were lower than in the pecking order than he, even if they were thirty years his senior. It was always amusing with the people his age, though. They seemed to have such a problem with coming to terms with how accomplished he was. His anger was completely dissipated now, as seeing the young leader struggle had put him in a fantastic mood. He smiled as he stepped a few paces forward, making Kyungsoo glance up at him with dark eyes.

“Information. That’s all. Do you have any idea where the dragon might be, or have you seen his red-haired servant?” he asked magnanimously.

“No. The dragon's lair is secret. His alliance is with the creatures of the forest, not with men. As for the red-haired traveler, we haven’t seen in almost a month. He came to have a sword made, and to hear any news that I may have heard, and then he disappeared like he always does,” he explained. The quickness of his answer told Baekhyun that he had either practiced a story to tell the prince when he arrived, or was telling the truth. Because he was in such a good mood now, he decided to proceed with the latter.

“I see. Thank you for your honesty,” he told him simply, and the boy seemed a little shocked at his non-violent response. However, Baekhyun was not that generous. “Unfortunately, I can’t have wasted a trip to this town. I’ve spent a lot of resources on the road, feeding my soldiers and horses, and paying them.” Kyungsoo immediately realized what he was insinuating, and stumbled back a few paces up the steps.

“What do you mean to do?” he demanded hotly.

“One quarter of your food stores, half of your riches, and enough weapons and armor to re-outfit my armor by the time the sun reaches its highest point, or I will pick twenty townspeople to be flayed within an inch of their lives for crimes of my own choosing, slaughter the blacksmith that the outlaw commissioned for the sword and beat his family, and pick five women from the town that I fancy to entertain me on my journey,” he answered with a smile. It didn’t seem to much to ask, considering what was at stake, and the boy was lucky he was even giving him an offer. Kyungsoo's mouth dropped open in shock, and he could see him wrestling with his conscience, deciding whether to attack the prince or agree to his demands. Yield to me, he thought as his smile widened. Yield, like the rest of them. I am law. I am absolution. I am king!... Not yet, but I might as well be. That old fool will be dead before the year is out.

“Very well,” Kyungsoo hissed darkly after a minute of silence.

“And invite me inside. It’s hot as the seven hells out here, and I want a nice, cold drink,” Baekhyun added as an afterthought, mostly to rub salt in the boy's wound. Kyungsoo ground his teeth before bowing his head and stomping up the stairs to bring him into the modest establishment. The office was on the bottom floor, while the residential area was on the second. It was a quaint little home, a sight nicer than the rest of the dirty mining town. Baekhyun plopped down at the kitchen table and propped his feet on the wooden surface, smirking as Kyungsoo just gazed at him in icy silence. A woman rushed into the room with a tall glass of alcohol, and he raised his eyebrows in approval. She was gorgeous, much prettier than the barmaid he had absconded with. Her hair was brunette with rich honey highlights, and her shape was divine, with curves in all the right places. Not to mention she was well-endowed in the chest area. Baekhyun grabbed the handle of the alcohol and took a swig, his eyes trailing the woman as she went about her business. “Your sister?” he asked Kyungsoo when he came back into the room.

“My wife,” he snapped at him. Mm. That complicates things, he thought with pursed lips. They sat in tense silence, and Baekhyun watched through the window as the townsfolk scuttled about below, bringing the tribute to his waiting company. As the chests and boxes piled up in the near-empty wagons attached to the pack horses and oxen of Baekhyun's battalion, the young prince smiled in satisfaction. If only all these commoners could be so obedient. By the time he had drained the last dregs of the beer, the last box was being loaded and his soldiers were observing their new armor and weapons. The discarded metal bits had been tossed listlessly to the side to be carted off by the villagers to be melted down and reforged. See? I’m generous, he thought as he strolled down the steps of the building. Kyungsoo followed after him, trailed by his beautiful wife. It was too bad that marriage laws were binding. He would love her to warm his bed during the cold nights in the wilderness.

“My Lord! My Lord, a message from Chanyeol!” cried a squire as Baekhyun jumped down from the final step. He held a piece of parchment in his hands, and bowed quickly before handing it over. Baekhyun unrolled it and glanced over the messy writing scrawled on the rough paper. A massive smile bloomed on his face when he read the short message, and he rolled it up and tucked it into his armor before running over to his horse and climbed into the saddle.

Finally, the time has come for me to end this farce, he thought as he barked orders at his company. They hurriedly climbed into their horses and began driving the pack animals, and they marched swiftly out of the city and back onto the open road. Baekhyun's path was due northwest, towards the rocky mountains looming on the horizon. Kris, I am coming for you, he thought blissfully. He sword hand itched as he imagined driving it through the redhead’s heart. No, Baekhyun. He must suffer, he told himself firmly. He has transgressed far more greatly than any of these sniveling poor folk. He took my princess, he ruined my plans.

I’ll make him watch from behind bars as I take everything he ever loved. His throne, his land, his love. And then, maybe then, when he is broken and begging for mercy, then I’ll kill him.

Enjoy it while it lasts, dragon-prince. I’ll be more of a curse on you than anything ever could.