Underworld Market

A silver winter dragon protects a family from an attack by the mafia, at the cost of his customers’ death. He is now stuck with them and escorts them to a transport ship to help them get off world.

His troubles don’t end there. He crosses paths with the gang leader, Caim, and she gives him an ultimatum: help her dethrone her assistant—who is completely out of her mind, or that family dies. She knows where they’re going and going off world won’t help them. He has no choice but to accept (and now he can’t wait to buy his own little island far away from everyone).

• A family meets Merlot, a vampire dragon. Merlot runs a tavern called Blood Sample.
• They accidentally lead a group of not-so-good-people to him, because they were being pursued
• He defends the humans. The group says they’ll be back.
• Merlot sends the humans on their way
• The bad people attack him the next day, but because he is powerful, when one of them stabs his heart, Merlot unleashes a power flurry
• The family comes back because they want his help but discover his whole bar is frozen. He froze everyone inside. The humans comfort him and tell him it wasn’t his fault. He says if it weren’t for them none of this would happen. The humans agree and say they had nowhere else to go. They tell him to leave or more will come, and they ask for his help. He reluctantly agrees.
• They walk along the snowy path. He’s wearing a big coat and doesn’t bother to hide his tail. He uses his dragon body to catch up to a train. They ask why he can’t fly, he doesn’t give an answer. He asks why they’re being pursued. They don’t give an answer.
• they all fall asleep, and the train almost passes by their destination: a space station that makes routine tourist trips to the underworld. Merlot sees the curse marks on the family’s arms, and they state they want help from the Queen of the Underworld. Merlot asks why they think she will help. The family offers to threaten her with the feather of a Superior Angel.
• Merlot says he cannot go, but they beg for his help.
• they get on the tour ship, and as it descends into the underworld, they say prayers. Merlot just watches, arms crossed, and sighs.
• they manage to separate from the tour group, and instantly surrounded by security from the Underworld Market. Caim appears. She is the one who gave the family their curse marks. She’s surprised to see Merlot again, and takes him away, leaving the family defenseless.
• this time, its the family who rescues him. Their curse marks enable them to tame Infernae creatures, so they are able to storm Caim’s mansion with their army of creatures. In all the madness, they grab Merlot and escape on the back of a giant scarab.
• Merlot wakes up and asks where they are. The ground is black and a green river is nearby. He guesses they are near the river Styx.
• the family has a snack, and offers some to Merlot. They talk about their family memories, and Merlot listens. But…he remembers his own family and wipes a tear from his eye. After eating, the family decides now is the time to summon the Queen. However, Caim appears.
• Merlot shifts into his dragonself, ready to face her head on while the family prays. His wings shine brightly and glitter, which is a reason why he never flies back on earth. His wings are valuable. He does well to hold her off, and when the Queen appears, the fighting ceases.
• the family begs for their curse marks to be removed or else. The Queen laughs them off, until they show her the feather. The daughter uses an old spell to tether the Queen to her summoning circle. The queen, terrified, urges them to let her go. They refuse, if their curse marks are not lifted. The son walks towards her with the feather and nearly touches her with it. She relents, setting them free. The daughter untethers her and immediately sends her back where she came.
• merlot says they need to make haste and return to the ship bus. He figures they’re still exploring the Underworld.
• the family climbs atop Merlot, and he flies as fast as he can. He hears the queen’s voice, and she even chases after them in her big form. She reaches for them, but Merlot reaches the ship before she can touch him. He crashes into it, and him and the family hastily run inside.