Long after the sun faded in the sky, the weary travelers finally reached their destination. The town of argent looked the same as it always did, but those who sought to enter into it had undergone quite the shift in their relationship. Blackthorne and Sonja chatted merrily with each other as they walked up to the gates that led into town.

Unfortunately, that was not the only change in relationship that had occurred. "Hold it right there!" called out a vaguely familiar voice. "Dreamer, you're under arrest!"

Blackthorne and Sonja looked to the speaker, patrolman Greene. "What's going on?" he asked the man.

Patrolman Greene sneered openly at him. "Dreamer," he practically spat the word. "did you not hear me? You are under arrest. Come along quietly, or we will be forced to take you into custody."

"The hell? Why?" asked Blackthorne intelligently.

"Are you resisting arrest?" asked the patrolman smugly.

"What is the meaning of this? You haven't even told us what he is supposedly charged with!" snapped Sonja.

"Enough! There is an open order for your arrest, dreamer." Patrolman Greene grinned at him in a feral manner. "You are going to be taken into custody, but feel free to resist if you want..."

"If you don't tell me what I'm under arrest for, I certainly will resist," said Blackthorne. "As far as I know, I have broken no laws."

"He's resisting!" snarled patrolman Greene!

A dozen heavily armed men poured out of the gate. Blackthorne, annoyed beyond words at the stench that assailed his nostrils, immediately leapt into action. He did not attack them directly, however. He unleashed his aura upon them.

Several of them men immediately fell to the ground and began to clutch at their chests. One man, the youngest looking in the bunch, began to pant heavily and cried out for his mother.

Patrolman Greene stopped dead in his tracks, but did not drop to his knees. His eyes wide, he staggered back as a wave of existential terror washed over him.

These men were easily half again Blackthorne's level, perhaps as much as double the level that he possessed. However, they were but men. Not even dreamers from Earth, they increased their abilities in a manner akin to normal human beings. Sonja fought back a tremor that came to her hands, and the aura was not even directed toward her! There was no possible way that they could stand up to a creature such as Blackthorne. Even the highest leveled guard among them would have needed to pour every single attribute point earned when he leveled up in charisma, should he want to even attempt to resist that aura.

The guards who had fallen began to writhe on the ground like worms. Blackthorne gazed coldly down at them, his heart aflame with indignation. He was not certain which aspect of himself was more offended, the dragon or the man whom he had once been. Justice should be swift, but he'd spent at least a decade of his life behind bars due to people acting exactly as these guards had done. His childhood was spent in a juvenile reform school where he was treated like society's dangerous unwanted trash.

However, he did not wish to kill these men. If there was an arrest order out for him, he wanted to know why.

"When did it happen? Why am I to be arrested?" asked Blackthorne.

Patrolman Green fell to his knees, his face bright red, and his pupils dilated. He could not answer, but a much stronger voice did.

"That's enough, dreamer. Release my men," said that strong familiar voice.

Blackthorne glanced toward its source and saw the guard captain. He was on edge, but his hands were almost steady and his eyes were largely clear. One of the few people in town who might be high enough in level and skill to resist his aura, the guard captain had yet to draw his sword but his hand was at the ready.

"Do you take responsibility if they once again attempt to arrest me without even bothering to tell me why?" asked Blackthorne.

The captain's eyes narrowed and the slight tremble in his hands stilled. "Yes."

Blackthorne relaxed his aura slowly, and in a way designed not to cause too much shock while he relented. The guards slowly began to recover, even as the captain walked among them.

He strode purposefully over to the red eyed man then said, "Blackthorne. You are under arrest for insulting a nobleman.... and assaulting the town militia."

"No," said Blackthorne calmly.

"No? This is not a discussion..." said the Captain.

"I refuse to be tried for this so-called assault. I defended myself against men who should have simply acted in a professional manner and told me why I was being arrested," said Blackthorne.

"Yet, you did attack them..." replied the captain, cold beads of sweat forming on his brow.

Blackthorne gazed at him for a moment, then scented the air. Slowly, his eyes narrowed though there was no malice contained within those burning red orbs. "Captain, you are a good man. You need to choose better guards."

"I can see that may be the case, but I have to insist..." replied the captain. Strangely, he felt lighter as though a heavy weight had just lifted from his shoulders.

"What nobleman did I supposedly insult?" asked Blackthorne. "Also, that is somehow a crime?"

"Ah. Yes. The noble scion of House Davrin has informed the magistrate that you accosted him in the Screaming Onion tavern. He is the eldest son of the Davrin Trade emporium..."

"I am not certain that I even know who that is... I rarely even talk to anyone besides Sonja and Scraggles," replied Blackthorne.

"Think clearly. Is there anyone whom you might have offended recently?" asked the captain, one bead of sweat sliding down his cheek. Just the memory of that dark and terrible aura kept him on edge.

"Recently? A lot has happened..." Blackthorne frowned slightly then looked to Sonja. "Can you think of anyone?"

"Other than me?" she asked him curiously. "No, master...."

Suddenly, a certain light dawned in her eyes. "Wait. Could it be the man who tried to lay his hands on me despite the fact that you told him that I was not for sale?"

"That fat idiot who came to buy you?" asked Blackthorne.

He looked to the guard captain. "Is that supposed noble scion, a slave trader?"

"Ah. Yes. That is the main commodity of House Davrin," replied the captain.

"Oh. Why didn't these guards of yours say so? I insulted that guy, and I'd do it every day if the fat sack of crap would stand still long enough," replied Blackthorne. "Why don't you arrest that useless noble shit bird for attempted cattle theft?"

"Cattle theft?" asked the captain, sweating now for an entirely different reason. No one insulted a noble so openly. No one.

"Moo," said Sonja while offering a sarcastic expression.

"Ah. That is something you will need to address with the magistrate," said the captain.

Sonja snorted at the guard then turned to Blackthorne. "My lord, it might not be a bad idea to allow this for now."

"M-my lord?" asked the captain.

Blackthorne glanced over to Sonja. "What are you playing at?"

"Look. I know you don't want to tell people about yourself or allow them to be in your business, but do you remember how I acted when I found out who you really are...?" asked Sonja. "Remember how you had to pretty much order me not to kneel before you?"

"Oh... Yes. That," said Blackthorne. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"This could be a chance for you to no longer have to hide who and what you really are while you live in this world," said Sonja. She glanced to the guard captain then looked at Blackthorne, "My lord."

Blackthorne sighed loudly then shook his head. "Fine. I'll trust your judgment... I do think it would be easier just to beat the shit out of that fat idiot."

"M-making threats against a nobleman, dreamer?" asked Patrolman Greene.

"Stating a fact," replied Blackthorne coolly.

"Patrolman Greene," said the Captain.

"Yes, Captain?" asked the patrolman.

"Shut your mouth and return to your post," said the Captain.

"But captain!" cried Greene.

"Patrolman, you have forgotten two things." The captain turned to look at him. "One, high dark elf nobility appeared before this man, and he did not flinch."

The captain stared at the patrolman for a moment. "Further, they addressed him quite familiarly when they left. Does that seem strange to you? Are commoners so highly regarded by nobility, much less dark elven nobility, even when they perform a great service on their behalf?"

"Ah. Captain... I," began the patrolman.

The captain did not wait for the man to finish his statement. Instead, he continued with his second point. "The second thing that you forgot is the fact that I am the captain of this town militia. Do not question my judgment on this matter any further."

"Y-yes, captain," stammered the patrolman. He quieted down after that and withdrew a pace. He already knew that the captain would speak with him further on the matter at his next moment of convenience.

The captain looked back to Sonja, and then to Blackthorne. "I do not wish to offend, but I must still take you into custody. However, please tell me your proper rank so that I might verify it and that you may be treated both fairly and in proper accordance."

"You treat people differently based on their social status?" Blackthorne closed his eyes and shook his head. "Some things never change."

"Ah... yes. It is the law, and we are sworn to uphold it," replied the captain. There was a hint of surprise in his tone, however. Was this man truly a noble, or even a man for that matter?

Blackthorne looked at the captain for a moment then shrugged. "I suppose it is only technicality, but I am of the Nobility of the Dark. You may refer to me as the Dark Lord, Blackthorne."

The stand froze in place. His eyes seemed as though they wanted to roll back in his head for a moment, but he collected himself with a loud snort. He raised one hand to his mouth then looked to Blackthorne, eyes wide and hand slightly trembling. "M-my lord. I see that you are indeed of the dark nobility."

The other guards looked to each other in absolute shock, but said nothing. The captain was the only one among them who had been granted such a judicial power. For the sake of law enforcement, he could read the titles that other people possessed.

"Dark Lord, Blackthorne. It is not my right to ask but I beg of you... please spare the lives of the people in this town and my men. I will offer myself willingly in their ste—" began the captain.

Blackthorne halted him by placing a hand to the man's shoulder. The captain froze in place while Blackthorne looked him in the eyes. "That's enough. I have sensed the truth of who you are already. I have seen some of your past in your memory. I have seen you stand before an army of bandits to defend a single mother and her newborn child."

Blackthorne nodded to the man. "I have seen you lead men, and weep in the privacy of your home upon remembrance of the lives lost under your command."

"You are too fine a man, and too excellent a captain, to finish speaking such words. No one is in danger from me in your town. Least of all, its defenders." Blackthorne squeezed his shoulder gently, though it produced enough force to make the captain wince.

"Lord, I... I see," said the captain.

Blackthorne offered him a toothsome predatory smile. "So, then. Shall we take me to jail?"

"Lord?" asked the captain, his eyes wide once more.

"I did insult a noble? Is that not a crime?" asked Blackthorne.

"Ah, yes... but given your status as a member of the dark court..." began the captain.

"I have broken the law, captain. It is my duty to stand in a court of law and be accused for it. Surely, you would not deny me the right to be accused in person by my accuser, or does the esteemed peddler of other people's lives not need to attend the trial?" Blackthorne tilted his head to the side. "There was going to be a trial, correct?"

"Yes. Of course. Usually, such things just require a public apology in court..." replied the captain.

Blackthorne grinned, his fangs gleaming brightly in the moonlight. "Oh, I'll happily apologize...In public, and where everyone can hear just how sorry I am."

Sonja noted that Blackthorne did not seem to act as though he had a bad taste in his mouth. Did he truly intend to apologize that the overfed toad who tried to take her from him? Something in his tone made her quite curious indeed.