I Only Tame Dragons

Without warning, Von appeared beside him like a bolt of lightning, snatching the necklace from his hand.

"Horizon! You have to give this to me! No matter what happens, I need this! I swear I won't ask for anything else!"

Horizon raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you won't," he muttered under his breath, watching as Von clutched the necklace like it was his lifeline.

Horizon could almost read the mischief in Von's mind, but he shrugged and handed over the necklace anyway—after all, it wasn't sparkling or made of gold, so he had no use for it.

"Just don't get into trouble with that thing!" he warned.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Von chirped, already bounding off toward Lydia.

Lydia, clad in her skimpy thief armor, was always flaunting her daring style. Her exposed back arched enticingly as she moved, leaving little to the imagination. Her full bottom was raised in a provocative display as she looted the dead on the ground.

With a mischievous grin, Von slipped the necklace around his neck. Just then, a tap on his shoulder made him turn around.

"Hello there, youngsters! Are you the brave adventurer who helped us?" a raspy voice chimed.

Von blinked in surprise to find a grandmotherly Lizardwoman standing before him. Her face was lined with age, and her back was hunched as she leaned on her cane.

Before he could respond, the flower necklace activated, releasing a heady floral scent that enveloped them both. The Lizard Granny's nostrils flared, her squinting eyes widening with delight as she took in the sweet aroma.

"My, aren't you a handsome young man!" she cooed, her voice dripping with flirtation. "With skin so smooth and a smile that could light up the darkest caves! How about I take you for a nice cup of herbal tea? I make the best brew this side of the swamp, and I promise, it'll warm you right up!"

Von's eyes widened, caught off guard by the unexpected attention. "Uh, thanks! I'm flattered, really," he stammered, a nervous laugh escaping him.

Cappy soared through the air, laughing hysterically as he pointed a tiny wing at Von. "I know this would happen. I told you this would get you into trouble! You should know by now—you're cursed to never be loved by women! Gyahahaha!"

The old lady winked. "Oh, don't be shy, dear! A strapping lad like you should enjoy all the attention you can get. Maybe after our tea, we can discuss some . . .

real adventures? I might be old, but I have a lot of experience."

Von's skin crawled, and before he could even think, he delivered a swift backhand slap to the old Lizardwoman. The sound echoed as she crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold.

"Shaman Fan!" The remaining Lizardfolk scrambled out of nowhere, rushing to the elder's side. A young Lizardwoman looked up at Von, her eyes brimming with tears. "Why did you do that?"

Von stammered, "I—I thought you were enemies . . ." he lied.

"They're not enemies," Violet spat, her eyes full of reproach as she glared at Von. "They're just normal Lizardfolk. Apparently, according to their story, everything was fine until their kin started acting strange. Their skin turned black, like they were cursed. They went berserk, filled with uncontrollable rage. The ones who hadn't succumbed yet were imprisoned."

"No wonder something felt off about this place," Nyx said.

Horizon, digging through his bag, pulled out an ominous-looking item. "Wait . . . could it be this?" He held up the [Token of Savagery], an item he had looted from the Chieftain Uger.

The token resembled a decaying brooch, fashioned from rotten leather and twisted teeth of various creatures. Every few seconds, a dark, violent aura pulsed from it, leaving a chill in the air. It radiated with unsettling energy, enough to disturb the minds of those who stood too close.

"Is this the source of the curse?" Horizon asked, his voice low and serious.

Violet stepped back and protected Silphie instinctively, sensing the malice seeping from the object. "That thing . . . it reeks of corruption."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Von gulped, regret washing over him as he eyed the unconscious Shaman Fan. He wished that she was cursed too, so he had an excuse for slapping her. "So . . . that slap was unnecessary?"

Violet rolled her eyes. "You think?"

The surviving Lizardfolk wore anxious, scared expressions as they instinctively took a step back from the cursed item in Horizon's hand.

"What are you still doing with that?" Nyx's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Get rid of it."

"I thought it might be valuable, considering it's cursed," Horizon muttered, but his grip tightened.

As he crushed the token in his fist, dark tendrils of energy swirled around it before bursting and vanishing into the air.

In that fleeting moment, an epiphany hit him—a vision of a hidden location deep within the Singing Grove flashed through his mind.

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"What is it?" Von asked, noticing Horizon's brief pause.

Horizon shook his head, still processing what he saw. What was that?

Lydia broke the silence, already securing various bags of loot around her shoulders and back. "Well, whatever it is, we've rescued the priestess. Our business here is done." Let's move before these Lizardfolk try to reclaim their treasures.

Von gestured to the remaining Lizardfolk, his brows furrowed. "What about them?"

At that moment, the old Lizardwoman, who had been unconscious with a large lump on her cheek thanks to Von's slap, suddenly stirred awake.

Von, in a panic, yanked the cursed necklace from his neck and stomped it into the dirt, as if destroying the evidence of his humiliation.

Thankfully, the granny seemed to have no memory of her brief flirtation spell and returned to her normal self.

"Thank you, adventurers," she said in a croaky voice. "You've freed us from our captivity."

Violet stepped forward. "What will you do now?"

"As always, we'll rebuild and start from scratch. It's the way of our people," the old Lizardwoman sighed, but there was strength in her voice.

"You don't have to thank us, granny," Horizon said, his face unreadable as he hoisted several bags brimming with treasure onto his shoulders. "Consider all this—compensation."