The dragon's harem

"Damn it! Where did the rest go?" A man growled inside a room. Filled with thugs waiting, "I heard they got captured by the guards. Probably messed with the wrong person," One of the men replied, "I win!" He smacked a card on the table.

The other men growled, "No way! Lucky bastard!" they sighed, and the man smiled, puffing his chest.

"We were right to say we're leaving. The mage paid us handsomely to stay," One of the men smiled, shaking the gold sachel in his hand.

The winner stood, looking at the corner in the back where two women were tied. "To think he sends us two," He smiled, approaching them, "I'm going first. You guys stand back,"

The other men sighed, "Don't be too hard on them. It would be a bummer if you broke them right away,"

Two women tried to crawl away, crying as the man approached.

Knock! Knock! "The mage send you another woman!" Gojo's voice came from behind the door.

The men stopped, and the winner turned toward the door, "Damn! We asked for one, and he sent two, and now a third?" He approached the door, "But who are you? You aren't his usual messenger," The winner said, grabbing the doorknob and pulling his sword.

"He died in a second attack," Gojo replied.

BAM! A large muscular woman burst through the wall beside the door, glaring at the men inside as she stood almost 1.9 meters tall.

"Gug, please use the door," Gojo sighed as the Gug lifted her massive Warhammer with one hand.

"Damn it!" The winner tried to move away, but his hand stuck to the ice-cold doorknob. "GYA! GRWAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The man screamed as he froze from his hand to his head.

Gojo then turned the doorknob, shattering the man's arm and pushing his as he opened the door, "YO! Playing games here, aren't you?" He waved his hand to the men with a smile.

"Kill him!" The men stood, pointing their crossbows at Gojo. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

GRWA! Gojo was about to create an ice barrier, but Gug jumped in front of him, acting like a meat wall. The bolts bounced off her skin like pebbles.

"Gug, I can protect myself," Gojo sighed, patting her back.

"Gojo saved Gug, Gug saves Gojo," Gug replied with a smile, glaring at the men and screaming, "GRWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Her warcry shook the whole room, sending fear into the hearts of those who heard it.

One of the two tied women smiled, her skin slowly sifting into the red as her eyes turned black. A small flame burned the ropes tieing her, and she stood.

The woman stood, approaching the men from the back and picking their leader.

"You bastards will regret attacking us!" The thug's leader shouted, pulling his greatsword.

Thud! A gentle hand covered his eyes, "You smell awful," A voice whispered behind him as a dagger sliced his throat. Liliana finished him off.

The men turned back, seeing their leader wiggling on the ground, bleeding. "Where did you come from?" The men growled, facing Liliana.

Thud! An elf walked from the hole Gug left in the wall, "Oh, my! By the tree branches, you really lead us to their hideout," Vars said with a smile, staring at Liliana.

"The best way to find people like them is to get captured. I know my job," Liliana shook the blood from her dagger.

Vars smiled, pointing his staff at the thugs, "You're in the way. Please die," [Screaming Wind Gust]. A burst of air raged from the tip of his staff, lifting the chairs and tables of the room and smacking the thugs with them.

GAH! Gug jumped forward, crushing one of the men's heads with mace. And kicking another to the wall.

The thugs started freaking out, jumping toward the weakest-looking one, Gojo.

Gojo smiled, "You want to give me a hug?" He opened his arms, "Sadly, it's quite hot here. How about you chill a bit?" In a flash, he froze everyone.

Gug looked at the frozen room. She poked one of the men with her finger, causing his icy body to shatter.

"They are dead," Liliana said, looking around as well, "It's amazing how you avoided us. You're really a master of ice magic." She gasped.

Gojo smiled, "I do like ice. It's pretty versatile,"

Vars sighed, "He's no master. This bastard is cheating." He glared at the ice, "How could you do this without chanting or a pre-prepared spell?"

"That's cold," Gojo looked at him with a sad face, "I prepare my spells each morning and revise them at night. This one I made so I can attack multiple people without hurting my comrades,"

"I have never seen you hold a book." Vars sighed, walking around the room and checking the thugs belonging.

"I don't need a book to do that. If you saw me laying with my eyes closed that mean I'm thinking about my magic," Gojo replied.

"So when you were sleeping on the guild's roof?" Liliana asked.

"I was working on my spells," Gojo replied, "I like that place since it's quiet and the sun feels good,"

"Gojo!" Vars called, "Look at this," He showed Gojo a few papers, "As we expected. Those thugs were hired by that fat noble before the mage came,"

Gojo looked at the papers, "Kidnapping, stealing, and intimidation contracts, all finished."

"Exactly," Vars smiled, "Look at this one. He visited the royal treasury in the capital three years ago. And he hired idiots to guard him."

Liliana looked at the papers, "This means by getting close to him, we can find a way to get to the treasury ourselves?"

Vars had an evil smile on his face, "The is weak to his wife and only daughter. We need to kidnap those two and force him to work for us,"

"I don't like getting innocent people involved. Can't we take the man himself and give him the ice treatment?" Gojo suggested.

"Torture? It won't work as we need him to be active. We aren't seeking information, but a service." Vars explained.

"I hate to say it, but Vars is right," Liliana sighed, "We need to retrieve the artifact and give it back to the elves before they start a full-on war on the humans. If it came to that, the fat noble will be sent to the front line with his personal army, and his wife and daughter would end up suffering a worse fate,"

"I didn't think that far," Vars stared at her, "I merely think that three people suffering is better than two kingdoms going into war," He stood, smiling at Liliana.

"Don't smile at me, you creep," Liliana cringed, hiding behind Gug, "I didn't say anything!" Vars smiled.

Gojo laughed, flicking his finger, and all the frozen thugs disappeared, "At least. Arad won't have to worry that much now," He looked at his party, "Thanks for your help,"

Liliana, Gug, and Vars stared at Gojo for a moment, "Don't worry about it. It helped our cause," Vars said.

Liliana looked away, hiding her smile, "My brother is with him. I can't let those thugs hurt him,"

Gug stared around, confused, "Gug fights with Gojo," She said, approaching Gojo, "Gojo saved Gug's life,"

"I told you don't need to worry about that," Gojo replied, "But at least learn how to use doors," He looked at the busted wall, "And try to say your name less,"

Vars looked at Gojo and Gug, "Barbarians are a bit too stupid. They keep saying their names so they won't forget them. And so other barbarians won't forget their names." He approached Gug, "And that is the same reason why all of these names are short. Gug and Nina come to mind."

"Come on, Gug isn't stupid. She's simple," Gojo started at Vars.

Liliana sighed, glaring at Vars, "Being stupid is better than being a pervert,"

Vars smiled, "I'm a pervert, and I don't mind people calling me as such. That's just the truth," He puffed his chest, "What I'm saying is that Gug doesn't need to change. She needs to improve on what she got,"

Gojo approached Vars, "How about you speak directly? You always get misunderstood when speaking like this,"

Vars looked at Gojo, "You're the first one to be able to understand that," He smiled, "Gug is already at a high level and has secured most of her stats into strength and constitution. She will get irreparably unbalanced if she started putting points into intelligence now."

"So you're saying she will become a half-baked barbarian if he pulls out now?" Liliana said, looking at Vars.

"Exactly, it's fine to be stupid for now. She can raise her intelligence by studying after she reach her peak like Nina did," Vars nodded and then looked at Liliana.

"Can I see your feet?" Vars asked.

"You mean feats?" Liliana replied, trying to look between Vars's words like Gojo said.

"No, I just like them toes," Vars replied with a smile, and she punched his face.