It'd been five days since Draven had left the capital when he finally was able to see Red Peak Mountain. As the daylight faded and darkness began to take over, Draven landed near a small town only a day's flight from the mountain.
At the town's gates, the same guard Nathan and Griffin encountered was there, checking people in for the night.
"Name?" He asked, not even looking up from his clipboard.
"Draven Mortenson," Draven said, doing his best to look nonthreateningly.
At the name 'Mortenson,' the guard flinched hard, almost falling as he looked up at Draven.
"My… My Lord… W-What brings you to our small village?" The guard trembled.
Draven let out a small sigh, "Nothing much. Just looking for an inn for the night. I need to move on in the morning."
Draven felt horrible at how terrified the poor guard was at the mere mention of his name. It strengthened his resolve to make sure his father met his end soon.
"Of course, my Lord. Give me just a moment and I'll escort you to our best inn."
Draven quickly held up his hand, halting the guard in his tracks. "There's no need for that. If you could just direct me, that'd be more than sufficient."
The guard trembled harder, terrified that he might've upset the heir to the terrifying Draken Mortenson. "P-P-Please my Lord. It's no-no trouble. I insist."
Draven knew he wouldn't be able to say no again. If he did the guard may just die of a fear induced heart attack. "Alright then," he finally said.
The guard wasted no time in calling over someone to watch his post while he escorted the young vampire to the inn. Draven, despite wanting to talk to someone, held his tongue, knowing it would only stress out the poor guard more.
As they reached the inn, Draven pressed a silver coin into the guard's hand. "Thank you," he said simply before turning and walking into the building. Draven had wanted to give the man a gold coin but knew it would freak him out, so Draven stuck with silver despite the fact that a copper would have been more than enough for the work.
True to his thoughts, the guard, upon seeing the silver coin in his hand, almost fainted on the spot. That was more money than he'd made in almost two years of working as a village guard.
When Draven walked up to the counter, the girl standing there began to tremble at the mere sight of him.
"How may I help you?" She barely managed to squeak out.
Draven gave what he hoped was a gentle smile as he responded, "Just a room for the night. And if it's not too much trouble, a light meal."
Draven instantly regretted the meal comment when the girl's face turned pale. Before she could collapse, he quickly added, "Bread and a roasted vegetable would be perfect if you have it."
Just when he finished speaking, a woman walked out from the back and placed herself behind the desk clerk. Placing her hands on the girl's shoulders, she turned her attention to Draven. "Hello, how may we help you this evening?"
Again, Draven gave her a small smile, "I was hoping for a room for the evening. And if possible, some warm food. Bread and a roasted vegetable?"
"Of course," the woman said. "Matilda, why don't you go ask the cook to get that started while I check in our guest."
Matilda quickly nodded her head and bolted for the back.
The woman, who introduced herself as Bella, quickly got Draven checked in, only giving him an odd look when he gave his name.
"Alright, Lord Mortenson, you're in room 12 on the third floor. Would you like me to show you?"
"No, thank you. I'm sure I can find it." Draven gave Bella a wider smile, happy with the almost normal interaction.
Bella nodded, "Okay. Stairs are over on the left and I'll bring your meal up when it's ready."
"Thank you, Ms. Bella," Draven nodded before making his way to his room.