as to shield him. The other two stopped too.
‘Yes, but…’ Draco blinked, slightly thrown off balance. ‘It seems to be coming from over there.’ He nodded roughly in the direction of the heated argument.
‘Then let's go the other way.’ There was a note of concern in Ari’s voice.
‘Yes, the sooner the better,’ echoed Forth.
Whatever the dragon had sensed, the soldiers took it extremely seriously. The reptile himself wasn’t convinced they should be reacting in what he considered an exaggerated manner. For whatever was the source of this sensation didn’t evoke any negative feelings in him. Admittedly, they were unfamiliar and strange, but there was certainly no hostility in them. It was even difficult to say whether they were entirely clear.
Everyone was staring at Draco, so he reluctantly moved on. He was intrigued by what was happening. He knew he should be concerned too, but in truth he wasn’t. The sensation merely drew his attention rather than pulling him in. It was as if something were gently plucking a taut string.
They soon reached the quay, and the sounds of the argument grew clearer. The merchant and the corvette’s captain were clearly shouting at each other over the cost of transporting the goods. From what could be made out, the merchant was vehemently objecting to the rate increase due to pirate attacks. He did not consider this a new phenomenon and vividly recalled all his encounters with such scoundrels.
Draco casually scanned the group on the quay. Knowing that they were not the source of the strange sensation, he lost all interest in them.
A shiver ran down the dragon’s spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Amidst the quarrelling members, he saw two blood-red eyes fixed upon him. He froze, for the previous sensation had returned, and it was far stronger than before. It was hard to describe. He sensed something else, another being, and knew that those eyes belonged to it. Now he also felt that whatever it was wanted him to approach.
‘Draco?’ Kei snapped the dragon
