My Dragon King System

And in that instant, before anyone could react, the rabbit vanished from the spinning breeze and reappeared in Ambrose's outstretched hand.

This was his Theft Magic, and he had just stolen the rabbit from them.

"I'll be taking that now. Thank you," he said with a devious grin on his face, before suddenly disappearing from sight.

"No…" Arianna whispered, with a defeated look on her face.

This was all part of Fractured Stars' strategy. Ambrose's role was to stay high above, watching from a vantage point.

The moment he spotted the rabbit, or anyone close to finding it before their guild, he was to swoop in and steal it from their grasp.

Then, Using Talen's distortion spell, which he had stolen beforehand, Ambrose could then distort the space between himself and the herald, mimicking the effects of instant teleportation.

That way, he'd appear before the herald first and claim the rabbit for Fractured Stars

….

Ambrose now standing before Herald, held the rabbit with the ribbon high.

The herald verified the capture, inspecting the enchantments on the rabbit to ensure it was unharmed.

Then the herald announced on behalf of King Oberon who watched. "The rabbit is secured and unharmed. Fractured Stars is declared the winner of Day Two!"

The crowd roared.

Ravens Grave, who had just arrived in the Square stopped dead in their tracks.

Kayden's expression darkened immediately, and you could see he was about to explode with so much annoyance.

Innis said nothing in particular and just stood there expressionless, but she couldn't deny that this turn of events didn't piss her off.

Arianna dropped her arms, "Damn it…" she muttered. "We had it."

Aiden said nothing at first, but his eyes locked on Ambrose.

Piers sighed and simply turned towards Ravens Grave position in the square.

Fractured Stars members laughed and cheered, while the other guilds murmured in frustration.

Raven's Grave stood together at the edge of the square, watching as Ambrose basked in the spotlight that should have been theirs.

….

Later on that night in Ravens Grave, the guild members sat around, having their usual dinner.

It didn't sound as cheerful as the previous night, and the team that contested today very much still had gloomy faces.

Katherine stepped into the center of the room, her voice steady as she spoke. "Alright. I know that didn't go the way we wanted. Losing the way we did stings the most."

Kayden let out a low grunt and turned his face away. The reminder still felt painful, he hated losing more than anything, and worst of all to them.

Katherine's eyes moved across the room. "What matters now is tomorrow. The final event. That's where we make it count."

A faint smile appeared on her face. "Get some rest, clear your heads. We'll start planning in the morning. For now, eat and get some sleep."

With that, she turned and quietly made her way toward her chambers.

Aiden was seated between Laela to his right and Arianna on his left.

"That was really annoying" Arianna said again

"I agree" Laela said.

Aiden said nothing in particular. He was a bit focused on eating the food he had been served, perhaps in hopes that he may still gain satisfaction from it.

Then Arianna spoke up. "But I noticed something. When I used my magic today, it felt stronger than usual."

Aiden paused mid-bite and sat up slightly. "Oh, about that…" He glanced between them. "Both of your magics have grown stronger. They've leveled up by one rank."

They both looked at him with shock on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Laela asked again, still rather puzzled.

And so he goes on to tell them about the Dragon's bond effect on their magic, which is why they would currently experience their magic strength being stronger than before.

Excitement lit on both their faces, Arianna in particular. Somehow, this unexpected boost lifted some of the gloom that had settled over her after losing the event.

"I mean come on, you're both going to be my wives someday, your magic can't be as feeble as the other humans" Aiden said, without realizing how condescending he sounded as he continued to eat.

Arianna and Laela glanced at themselves with strange expressions on their faces. That sounded strange. Harsh, even.

And in truth, it was. Aiden didn't even notice how it came across; he was speaking with the pride and authority of a dragon.

————-

The rest of that Night had settled fully over Dragonhold, and Oberon stood from the Wyrm Seat preparing to retire for the evening.

That was when he heard it.

A sharp cry of pain from beyond the doors. This was from one of the guards stationed just outside the throne room.

The sound cut off abruptly.

Oberon's eyes narrowed towards that doors immediately. He was certain he had just heard his guard scream.

Then, from the side entrances, he heard movement.

The guards stationed at the corner entrances were suddenly yanked backward, their armored forms disappearing into the shadows.

Their screams followed, before they too were silenced.

Oberon had this intense look on his face and eyes swept across the room in anticipation.

Three figures then emerged. One stepped through the main entrance. The other two appeared from the side corridors, flanking him.

All three wore dark, fitted armor. Their faces were hidden behind masks, with twin daggers to the side.

They were the assassins sent by Lady Arnarra. to kill Oberon

Oberon stood slowly, "what is this?"

One of the assassins, the one who had entered through the main doors, then spoke.

His voice was smooth, almost conversational. "Don't bother trying to run, Oberon. Or shouting for help. We've spelled this throne room. No one will hear you. No one will come."

One of the assassins had cast a spell that silenced every sound within the throne room's range. Only those inside could hear anything, which was why Oberon had been able to hear his guards falling, one by one.

Oberon scoffed, "I never planned to…" he said evenly.

As a seasoned mage, he could easily sense the presence of magic in the area, even if he couldn't identify the exact spell.

Then out of Curiosity he said, "But I must ask… how did you three get in?"