ã€ŠRaven the Crimson Dragon Kingã€‹


 Pilot: Vengeance achieved a Legacy Rekindled

    Pilot: Vengeance achieved a Legacy Rekindled

    My name is Raven. I am a fire dragon, and on this day I can happily say that I have avenged my father. Let me explain. You see, my father, as well as my entire family, was killed by a group of humans armed with Wyrm Slayer weapons. Those are specially designed weapons made for killing dragons.

    I was just an egg. A servant was able to secure my safety along with the skull of my father. When I was old enough, my father¡¯s soul was able to communicate with me. He told me of my fate and what I needed to do.

    The humans who killed my family chose to stay in my family''s temple and made it into a base. I trained for 60 years until I was ready. I then single-handedly brought them all down low, and I baptized the entire temple in a cleansing flame.

    I am a Dragon of Fire. My scales are a bright crimson with indigo blue undertones. My wings are made of flame. My eyes are a soft pink. My hair is as black as night.

    With my home reclaimed, I sat upon the throne, and suddenly I felt a surge of mana rise to the heavens. I then passed out.

    I awoke to a strange feeling. I then left the temple. Following the feeling, I came across a small reptilian creature. It bowed before me.

    Raven: What are you, creature?

    Kobold: I am a Kobold, my lord. I lived alone in a hovel not too far from here. I only left because I felt the return of the Crimson Bloodline. My family was in service to them.

    Raven: So your predecessors once served my family, is what you''re saying?

    The Kobold looked up to me and smiled.

    Kobold: Yes, then you are of the Crimson bloodline. Please, your highness, allow me to serve you.

    Raven: Ok, what is your name?

    Grom: My name is Grom, your highness. Please lead me to your temple so I may begin to serve.

    I then led Grom back to the temple. I now had a Kobold serving under me, and I turned to Grom and asked how he planned to do all the work himself. Grom became blushy, and he turned to me and said

    Grom: My lord, um. Are you aware of how Kobolds procreate?

    Raven: No, I do not care to share.

    Grom: We Kobolds are hermaphrodites by birth; normally we can procreate with each other, but there is another way.

    Raven: Which is

    Grom: Well, the bodily fluid from a dragon can do the same thing.

    I stared at Grom for a few short moments before kneeling down and planting a kiss on Grom¡¯s head.

    An intricate series of runes began to appear on Grom''s skin; they began to shine like the sun. Grom then ran inside the temple, and I followed behind him. Grom then ran into a room. When I got inside, he was hard at work making a makeshift nest, and what happened next was Grom laying at least 9 large eggs half his size. Grom then came over to me and gave me a happy but confused look.

    Grom: Your highness, you have gifted me a mighty boon, but why did you bestow your boon so freely?

    Raven: I need help; besides, it¡¯s just a kiss; there¡¯s nothing major about it.

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    Grom: But, your Highness, a kiss is the greatest kindness my kin are allowed. You could have spit on me, and I would have been just as pleased.

    Raven: Grom I was raised to give respect to others until they show me that they don¡¯t deserve it, and spitting on others is the lowest form of disrespect that I will never do to anyone else.

    Grom put both of his hands together and looked to me like i was the greatest thing ever i then told Grom that i was going to go hunting Grom Promised me that he would stay inside the Temple i also told him to lock the door behind me just as a precaution

    I then left the temple and began to look for game. I managed to bring down two deer and a boar. I dragged them back to the temple and brought them to the room. When Grom opened the door, I saw there were now 9 new Kobolds. When they saw me, they all gathered around me and bowed. Grom was the only one standing.

    Raven: Grom, did the eggs hatch?

    Grom: They did, Your Highness. I am happy to say they are completely ready to serve.

    Raven: How can that be? They were just born.

    Grom: Ah, your Highness, that is the utility of us Kobolds. We grow rapidly from the moment we hatch; we are ready to serve our masters. Do not worry; I have already taught them all they need to know.

    I then brought in the boar and the deer, and I began to cook them. Upon closer inspection, these Kobolds were the size of household cats. Grom was hard at work teaching the others proper etiquette and how to conduct themselves when around me; meanwhile, I was cooking the catch. Soon we all began to eat. Grom got next to me and began to tell me about the role of a Kobold.

    Apparently among the Dragon race, Kobolds are seen as a servant-class species. They mainly serve high dragons like myself, which among dragon communities, royal dragons are the highest class.

    Soon all 11 of us had finished eating, and I went to find a place to sleep. Meanwhile, Grom led the other Kobolds into a massive cleanup crew; they wanted to make this place into a proper temple worthy of my greatness.

    That was their way of saying it, not mine. The next morning I felt the same strange feeling that drew me to Grom; only this time it was much closer. I got up and went outside, and at the temple steps was a Lindwyrm and a Wyvern.

    A Lindwyrm is a type of dragon but with a snake-like body. This one was the size of a reticulated python. His underbelly is soft pink, and his back is covered in blue plated scales. His head is really dragon-like. He bows before me.

    I then look to the Wyvern; she is about as tall as a 7-foot human. She¡¯s incredibly young; I would place her in her early 20s. Compared to humans, she has light blue skin. Her wings have shades of pastel green and pink. She has raptor-like feet as well as two feather-like ear fins on her head. The last thing of note about her is her colorful cream-yellow and soft pink feather-lined tail.

    Raven: Why are you two here? I¡¯m trying to sort things out here.

    Lindwyrm: that is why we are here your highness we have come to Join your horde

    Raven: I see, but why though?

    Lindwyrm: You see, the two of us were visited by the spirit of a Crimson Regal Dragon. He told us to come here and aid his son.

    Raven: For future reference, is this normal for Dragonkind?

    Timid Wyvern: It actually is the spirit of a dragon. It is incredibly strong; it will stay in the physical world for long periods of time. In your father¡¯s case, he¡¯s trying to give you all the support he can, and you may be getting more guests when your Draconic Spire rises in power.

    Raven: I see, so care to inform me what a Draconic Spire is?

    The Lindwyrm then explained that a Draconic Spire is a spire of Draconic energy that only those of the Draconic race can see. The Lindwyrm went on to say that since my father was killed, the Spire¡¯s power had greatly diminished, but I could rekindle it.

    The Lindwyrm and Wyvern soon asked to join my horde, and I was all for it, but apparently a ceremony had to be done to make it official. This was something the Lindwyrm was knowledgeable about. The three of us then went towards the throne room.

    The Lindwyrm then told me to sit on the throne, and then I had to concentrate my mana into the throne itself. I had never used my magic in that way, mainly because I had been training myself for taking revenge, but if I wanted to restore my father¡¯s good name, this was something I would have to do.

    I sat on the throne and closed my eyes. I began to imagine a spark of fire growing bigger and bigger until it grew into an inferno. I suddenly began to feel hot. When I opened my eyes, the entire throne was surrounded by a crimson aura. Soon, Grom and all the other Kobolds gathered in the room. I then felt a great amount of mana rise, and soon I stood up, feeling like I could take down a god.

    Then right before my eyes the Spirit of my Father appeared in his full glory he placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled before moving on to the next life.

    It became abundantly clear I was home.

    End of Pilot

 Episode 1: Learning a New Trade & gaining a new ally

    It has been a month since I rekindled The Draconic Spire, and in that time I have had several visitors to the Temple, mainly other dragons. The Lindwyrm has taken the role as my scholar and advisor; his name is Freznic. The Wyvern, who I believe has a crush on me, has taken the role as my scout and messenger; her name is Melody.

    I serve as the Ruler and General. Another thing about having these other dragons here is that each one of them has to be put through a ritual that basically makes them a member of my horde. By doing so, their colors change to match mine. This makes them official members, and they also gain the fire element to match my own.

    As of right now, there are twenty Wyverns; each of them mainly serves as aerial infantry, defending my territory from airborne threats. A couple of them serve as hunters, and besides Melody, there is one other Messenger; his name is Astri. No other Lindwyrms have shown up, but there have been Kobolds and a few Drakes.

    Drakes are a quadrupedal, flightless breed of dragon like myself. They can shift into a humanoid-like form. The Drakes serve as the main guards and foot soldiers. There are at least ten of them as of right now.

    Grom has led the other Kobolds into a massive overhaul of the temple. They have been busy preparing the proper rooms for us and making new furniture for said rooms. They started by creating a nesting room so my Horde can safely lay their eggs as well as a nursery to raise their young.

    I was honestly surprised that Grom knew how to do all this, but I think his parents imparted all their wisdom into him or something. Either way, things have mainly been working towards renovating the temple.

    Right now I¡¯m doing push-ups in the throne room while Freznic tells me all the things I need to do; one of them is to make my presence known to the residential Fae and humans.

    When I was finished with my workout, I looked to Freznic and asked them how I might do that. Freznic¡¯s best idea was through my messengers, and that might honestly be the best course of action, and it might help to know the lay of the land.

    I called Melody and Astri to my side, and under Freznic¡¯s advice, I told them to spread the news of my occupation in the region. The two Wyverns saluted me and soon left the temple. After that, I began to train the Drakes. They were very willing students who eagerly wanted to fight. Training them was incredibly fun.

    I trained the Drakes until early dusk, then Astri and Melody returned. I asked them how the news went down, and they reported that the nearby Fae seemed interested while the humans seemed unfazed. Interesting. Later at the feast we got an uninvited guest; she was a subhuman feline.

    Felines are human-shaped Fae with cat ears and tails. They are incredibly smart, manipulative creatures, but they''re also incredibly savvy merchants. I got up from the table and approached this feline; she smiled and said

    Tassy: Hello, your lordship. I¡¯m Tassy; I run the Golden Paw Merchant Guild.

    Raven: Hello, I¡¯m Raven, and what are you doing here?

    Tassy: I came to offer some support in exchange for a fee.

    Raven: What exactly are you offering? And if this is a scam, I won¡¯t hesitate to end you.

    Tassy: Hehe, trust me, this offer is good. What I¡¯m offering is gold and a link to the other Dragon communities in exchange for your Dragon eggshells.

    Raven: Excuse me?

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    Tassy: You heard me.

    Raven: Why would you want our eggshells? What worth could they be to you?

    Tassy: Well, let¡¯s just say we felines have acquired tastes anyway. Gold is one of the greatest things to a dragon, and I can pay you right now if you give me all the eggshells you currently possess.

    Freznic soon came over to me and whispered in my ear that gold will be useful in the future, at least until we find a way to make our own.

    I then told Grom to go and gather all the eggshells we had and to put them in a bag for Tassy.

    Needless to say, Tassy left happy, and she repaid us with thirteen large bags of gold, which my Kobolds quickly moved to the treasury. The following week, several Fae came to my temple asking for permission to make the forest that surrounded the temple their home; many of them were Fae Furs.

    Fae Furs are lesser Fae that usually take the form of small animals like rabbits, squirrels, and small birds. Butterflies, etc.

    These creatures are incredibly weak but can muster up a fight if they have to. I allowed them to stay so long as they didn¡¯t cause trouble.

    It soon became clear that being a Regal Dragon meant we were essentially kings and protectors of lesser Fae, frankly, I don¡¯t know how my father did it.

    But this is my life now, and I¡¯m slowly getting acclimated to it. For all that it¡¯s worth, I soon went hunting out in the woods. I brought down a deer. As I was about to bring it home, I saw that the deer wasn¡¯t alone; he had a pregnant doe with him, and I honestly felt bad for what I did.

    I took a deep breath and tried to commune with the deer. Using a spell, the deer was able to understand me at least vaguely. I was able to convince her to come with me to my temple, where I provided her with safety and shelter until she gave birth.

    In time I grew to enjoy caring for her and her fawn. I then made it a decree that all deer were not to be hunted in my domain. In time the local deer repaid my kindness by sharing their secrets with us. As it turned out, these deer knew of fruit that could serve as meat substitutes, and they tasted like steak when cooked.

    Ever since Deer became the pet of my temple, coming in and out as they saw fit, I had my messengers go to the human village and relay the message that all Deer are not to be harmed in my domain.

    I heard that the humans were pissed off, but if they went against me, they would deal with my claws personally.

    One week later, a new visitor made their way to my domain. This one was of the Sylvan Race; he was a Sylvan Deer. These deer are bigger than a Shire horse; their antlers are covered with vines and flowers; their fur is bushy and has the coloring of pastel green with white undertones; and their legs are also covered in vines.

    The last thing of note is that their eyes are a soft blue color. Sylvan Deer are considered gods of all other deer; it is said that wherever a Sylvan Deer chooses to make their home, a new forest will sprout overnight.

    I met this Sylvan Deer, and he bowed to me.

    Raven: So what brings you here?

    Sylvan Deer: I have come to inquire about you, your grace.

    Raven: Oh, does this have something to do with my decree to spare all deer within my domain?

    Sylvan Deer: It¡¯s the very same. You see, the Word on the Wind told me about your decree to spare and protect my kin, and I grew curious. Are you aware of the Sylvan Crisis?

    Raven: No, I am not.

    Sylvan Deer: Well, you see, with the expansion of human and Fae settlements, the need for lumber has grown exponentially, and for this reason, several Sylvan forests have been greatly reduced despite my kind''s best efforts to preserve them, but in truth, we cannot cope.

    Raven: So, in short, your homes are being destroyed, and you need a place to settle.

    Sylvan Deer: Yes, so I have come here on a gambit. I wish to join your horde and make this forest my home so I can propagate safely.

    Raven: I don¡¯t see an issue with that; however, I ask that you lend a hand and pull your own weight. We don¡¯t have any slackers here.

    Sylvan Deer: I promise to do my part. You see, I possess the ability to manipulate all forms of flora. I can also create all new plants if the need should strike me.

    Raven: That would be a great boon. What do I call you? I need to know if I am to properly perform the rite.

    Aeos: I have many names, but for the moment, you can call me Aeos

    Soon we had gained a new ally. Aeos¡¯s green fur turned to an autumn red, and soon Aeos left to a part of the forest to make his home. I began to notice that the other deer followed Aeos for the next few months. I saw that the forest that surrounded the temple began to gain an ethereal glow. Some of the trees had strange runes on them. Aeos explained that his presence was converting the forest into a Sylvan Grove.

    The Sylvan race is best known for their strong ties to nature. Sylvan Wood has a multitude of purposes. Sylvan wood can¡¯t be destroyed by fire; in fact, they absorb fire.

    Sylvan Groves are also known for giving life to other Sylvan; in time it won¡¯t be uncommon for this forest to be abundant with Sylvan creatures.

    Soon I noticed that the forest began to take on a scarlet and topaz-like coloring. Aeoes told me that this was because of him; he wanted the forest to represent our bond. I approved. Soon the entire forest became known as the Crimson Grove.

    Things seemed to be going well.

    <u>End of Episode</u>

 Episode 2: A Newfound Accord and A Wedding

    It was a new morning when a human came to my temple; he was an emissary from a kingdom that was a ways away.

    This human was a woman. She was dressed in mage-like attire; her hair was a soft pink, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. She called herself Yule.

    Raven: So you are from a Kingdom you said?

    Yule: Not quite. You see, I have come on a gambit, your Highness. I come from a stronghold of scholars who are trying to live peacefully and study the ways of the world, but we are being threatened by a group of mercenaries. They are forcing us to pay a protection fee; if we do not pay, they will take their payment in blood.

    Raven: And you wish for me to help you, I take it?

    Yule: Yes, but we do not expect you to do this for free. My colleagues and I are well versed in the customs of dragons, and we are prepared to pay you in any way we can.

    Freznic: Your Highness, may I have a word with you!!

    Raven: Pardon me for a second.

    Freznic then slithered to a side room, and I followed behind.

    Raven: Freznic, what are you planning?

    Freznic: Well, your Highness, I can most certainly say that we are close to being a powerful horde, but we must think of the future.

    Raven: Go on?

    Freznic: Your Highness, I think it¡¯s time you thought about acquiring some servants.

    Raven: Servants?

    Freznic: Your Highness in Dragon Culture Servants is a word mostly reserved for partners to a Regal Dragon.

    Raven: I take it these are romantic partners.

    Freznic: Yes, your highness, any sort of creature would make for a suitable servant in order to produce strong progeny.

    Raven: I see; I will consider it.

    Freznic and I then returned to the throne room where Yule was waiting. I took a seat atop my throne, and I looked down at Yule and said,

    Raven: I have considered your request, Lady Yule, and I will aid you to the best of my ability.

    Yule smiled and bowed respectfully.

    Yule: How can I repay you, your majesty?

    Raven: We can sort that out later; for now, lead me to your stronghold, and I will handle this personally.

    Yule was surprised soon. I told the soldiers to protect the temple in my stead. I then traveled with Yule to her stronghold. It was somewhat close to my domain; I would say it was a two-day journey.

    When Yule and I arrived in the Stronghold, I saw many human scholars. They were bickering amongst themselves. They were mainly impressed that Yule had managed to get me to come here. Soon I met with the Sage of this Stronghold. He wasn¡¯t as old as I thought he would be; he didn¡¯t have a long beard. Instead, he had five o''clock shadow and long black hair.

    Sage: So, Yule, you have succeeded in your goal, I see.

    Yule: Yes, Big Brother, this is Raven, the Ruler of the Crimson Grove.

    Vane: I see. Welcome to our community, Raven. I am Vane, the ruling Sage of the Lavender Moon stronghold.

    Raven: Greetings. I have a question if you don¡¯t mind.

    Vane: Please ask away.

    Raven: I take it. Everyone here is well versed in the art of magic, correct? If this is the case, why don¡¯t you handle this issue yourselves? Can¡¯t you create some sort of barrier or defeat these invaders with magic?

    Vane: I see where you''re coming from, but please understand we of the Lavender Moon Clan are strict followers of peace as well as the study of the world. No one in our coven knows any form of offensive magic.

    Raven: Then what do you do if you come across a threat?

    Vane: Well, we rely on the spell Pacify to remove all ill intent from any opposition. Only this current threat is a new obstacle. Our Pacify spell really seems to irritate them, if anything.

    Yule: Our Coven was founded under the teachings of making the world a better place for both Fae and humans alike; pacifism is our strongest teaching.

    Raven: I see, so you want me to resolve this issue for you?

    Vane: Sadly, our methods have failed, so yes, we would like your assistance in this matter. We are prepared to offer you anything as compensation.

    Raven: When will these guys arrive?

    Vane: They will be arriving any minute now, I¡¯m afraid.

    Raven: I see; I will handle this then.

    I went out front and waited, my sword at the ready, as the sun was about to set. An army began to charge toward the stronghold. I soon got on my feet and met them head-on. I used my magic to create a barrier of fire that circled around the entire stronghold.

    Soon the leader of this gang came off his horse and came over to me. He was a human, but something was off about him. I could sense a seething anger coming off of him.

    ????: who the hell are you?

    Raven: I am Raven, a regal dragon who rules over this province, and from now on this stronghold is under my protection. Now I politely ask you to leave, or else.

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    ????: Fuck that, we¡¯ll just kill you along with those pussies who hired you!

    Raven: You have no redeeming qualities, do you? Looks like I won¡¯t lose any sleep about this at all.

    With the speed of a puma, I struck down on them all. Oddly enough, they still tried to fight even though I cut them down. It was like some sort of power was manipulating them. I ultimately had to burn them all in white fire, cleansing the earth where they stood.

    As they burned, I saw a specter flee from the area. Whatever that thing was, it had forced these humans to commit so many unspeakable acts, but it was over now.

    I then brought down the barrier, and the white fire slowly diminished. I then returned to the stronghold, and everyone cheered, though some were saying prayers.

    Vane and Yule soon came towards me; they seemed happy.

    Yule: Thank you so much, your majesty, for protecting us!

    Vane: Yes, truly, how can we repay you for your great deed!

    Raven: All I require is Yule as my servant.

    The entire room went silent.

    Vane cleared his throat and said:

    Vane: I see your request is fair, and I intend to honor it on one condition.

    Raven: Which is?

    Yule: You see, Your Highness, I am only 16, and our customs dictate that a Maiden of the Lavender Moon can only marry at the age of twenty.

    Raven: So that¡¯s four of your human years. I see. I am willing to wait.

    Lavender Moon Scholar: Master Vane, you can¡¯t be serious. Yule is the joy and laughter of our Coven; you can¡¯t give her away!

    Vane: We of the Lavender Moon Coven are taught to observe respect and assist all creatures in this world, and if Raven hadn¡¯t come today, our Coven would have been wiped off the map. We are honor bound to fulfill Raven¡¯s request; he has honored our customs by allowing Yule to stay until she is of proper age. That is a great kindness.

    The other members of the Coven slowly backed down.

    I then spoke up and said:

    Raven: Before I take my leave, I ask that we form an Accord. I''m sure you know what that is?

    Vane: Yes, an Accord is a magical contract formed by two magical creatures.

    Raven: Yes, and as such, I will offer your Coven protection when needed, and in return, I would call upon your Coven for counsel on any problem that should arise.

    Vane: Agreed, I shall make the proper preparations; please wait a moment.

    I created the accord with Vane and then returned to my temple. Freznic asked how it went. I told him how I made an Accord with them. I also instructed two of my Wyvern Soldiers to go to the Lavender Moon Stronghold to act as my eyes.

    The next morning the two Wyverns were off, and things proceeded as normal, but then we got three visitors. They were like myself, dragons; only they weren¡¯t regal; they were each high-ranking Drakes.

    One had yellow skin with Tiger Stripes another had blue skin with Pink clownfish pattern.

    The last one was Green with a tortoise pattern; they came before me stating they were ambassadors of the Three Prime Elemental Dragons.

    Raiden of the Storm Aquila of the Tides and Geodon of the Earth.

    Each of them stated that they were sent by their respected masters to see if I was truly the successor of the Crimson Flame Dragon.

    We ended up talking for hours, but each one of them left satisfied.

    The meeting went well. The next day, a messenger Wyvern from Lady Aquila arrived. Her Wyvern gave me a letter stating that one of her daughters was available.

    I sent a return letter asking why she would offer me one of her daughters, and the return letter stated that she wanted to aid me. This daughter was named Desdonna.

    And she was apparently a rather intelligent and Beautiful Dragoness who was a bit timid but over all kind.

    I agreed to it in a week''s time. Desdonna came to my temple with two drakes escorting her. To my surprise, Desdonna had the form of a human; only she had short pink antler-like horns and long, beautiful indigo blue hair. She also had a slender dragon tail and a pair of pink whiskers on her forehead.

    Desdonna was different than what I had come to expect. As soon as she was in my temple, her escorts abandoned her. Desdonna seemed incredibly shy and sad. I led her to where she would be staying. She didn¡¯t say a word. It was only when I revealed her room to her that she began to open up.

    Desdonna: My lord, I apologize for the inconvenience my presence causes you.

    Raven: Why would your presence be an inconvenience?

    Desdonna: Oh, you don¡¯t know, do you? Well, you may have noticed my human features, correct?

    Raven: Yeah, is that a part of it?

    Desdonna: Yes, it does. You see, my father was a human. Whenever a dragon and a human share a passionate moment, a hybrid of the two is born. They are referred to as dragonborns, and we are seen as abominations by Dragon society. A majority of us are killed, but my mother chose to spare me.

    Raven: I see. Well, Desdonna, I promise to be good to you, and I will do whatever I can to make you comfortable. We will be husband and wife after all.

    Desdonna smiled, and I soon left her alone. Frznic then came to me and promised to make plans for the wedding, which left me with some free time, so I went to visit Aeos.

    My friend had made his home in the easternmost part of the forest, and you could tell it was his domain because the mana in this part of the forest was far thicker than anything I¡¯d ever experienced.

    It was almost intoxicating. I had learned that Greater Fae are able to create these types of environments, and Aeos might just be one. Greater Fae are a type of Fae that have lived for an exceptionally long time, and as such, their Mana levels are off the charts. It¡¯s rumored that Greater Fae can move entire continents.

    It is also believed that there were Fae even more powerful than Greater Fae roaming the land. They are known as the Eldritch Fae or Elder Fae for short, and supposedly they all disappeared, all except one, and that sole survivor is leading the Aurum Continent.

    It¡¯s incredibly interesting. Soon I made it to Aeos¡¯s inner sanctum; the entire area was lined with beautiful white flowers that glowed like stars. Every tree was covered with runes giving off soft light that was floating towards the sky. It was so pretty here, and there were deer everywhere.

    All of them were unaffected by the high concentration of mana. Nonmagical beings aren¡¯t affected by mana. It must be great anyway. Aeos was lying down in a small lake; a bunch of Fae Furs were gathered around him, resting on his back or in his antlers. It looked so serene.

    Aeos soon opened his eyes and turned his head towards me as he did so. The Fae Furs that were resting on him didn¡¯t even move; normally they would flee at the slightest quick movement, but I guess Sylvan creatures have a good bond with woodland creatures.

    Aeos: Ah, my friend! What brings you by my home?

    Raven: I just came to relieve my boredom and kill time.

    Aeos: I see. Well, I have good news!

    Raven: Well then, share.

    Aeos: Well, I am proud to say that soon I shall bring a young progeny into the world!

    Raven: that¡¯s great but how do you Sylvan Creatures procreate?

    Aeos: Hehe, well, a majority of Sylvan Creatures are asexual; we simply need a good environment, preferably well forested and full of life, and we need pollen from another member of our kind.

    Raven: Really that¡¯s it?

    Aeos: Yes, that¡¯s it. In the past, my kind flourished, but with the rise of all these kingdoms, the need for lumber led to our decline. If Sylvan Creatures lose their forests, they die. I have lost so many companions, but I carry their pollen with me.

    Raven: If that¡¯s the case, how have you survived, old man?

    Aeos: Trade secret, my friend.

    Raven: Fine then but how much Pollen are you currently carrying?

    Aeos: That too is also a secret.

    Aeos and I soon shared a good laugh for a bit. We spent time talking a little bit more until a Kobold came, telling me that the preparations for my wedding were completed, and so I left with him.

    When we returned to the temple, I was taken to get ready. I had to dress in some ornamental robes that Grom had prepared and then walk to the throne room. Every dragon in the horde was here waiting for me. I soon stood under the throne, and soon Desdonna came walking up holding a bouquet and garbed in a beautiful blue and silver gown.

    There was a thin veil wrapped around her mouth, and her horns were decorated with silver ribbons. Soon she stood beside me, and Freznic began the marriage rite.

    A silver and white chalice was brought before us, and Desdonna filled it with water from a glass, and Freznic told me to fill it with flame. I thought it was odd, but I did as instructed. Soon the chalice was filled with both water and flame. I was impressed.

    Desdonna: I, the Daughter of Aquila, hereby pledge to serve as your loyal and dutiful servant from now until the end of days.

    I was speechless, but something within me told me what to say.

    Raven: And I, the Lord of the Crimson Flame, shall forever protect and cherish you from now until the end of my days.

    Raven & Desdonna: We ask that the Mother of all Dragons smile upon us as we make this pledge: we shall forever love and support each other, working as one to bring forth a greater generation!

    Suddenly the chalice began to fill with light that reached towards the sky, and when the light left the chalice, a red and blue pearl the size of my palm was left.

    Desdonna smiled, saying.

    Desdonna: The Mother of all Dragons approves of our union; she has provided us with a Dragon Pearl, a materialization of our love.

    The entire audience cheered. Soon Desdonna and I were escorted to a new room. It was filled with exotic-looking furniture, plants, and decorations. Desdonna told me that this was a Consummation Altar.

    I was nervous, and so was she. I soon led Desdonna to the bed. We both sat beside each other. Desdonna was blushing. I soon placed my claw on her hand, and we both shared a glance.

    Raven: This is all new territory for me.

    Desdonna: Me too. When I was living with my mother, everyone always told me that I was undesirable due to my heritage.

    Raven: That is complete bullshit, Desdonna. You''re the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen, and honestly, growing up with humans, I''ve heard the same things. I was always seen as a monster.

    Desdonna simply placed her delicate hand on my scaly cheek. We had some similar circumstances. Soon I leaned in and began to kiss Desdonna. She embraced the kiss. Soon things began to slowly heat up. Tensions got heated, and soon Desdonna was riding me like a horse. The sheer amount of raw, lustful emotions was electric. After the third hour, everything was a blur.

    It was midnight when I woke up. Desdonna was lying on my bare chest with my arms around her. I decided to go back to sleep. Soon I woke up to Desdonna stirring; she smiled up at me and said,.

    Desdonna: Good morning, my love. That was some night.

    Raven: Yeah, it was. Let¡¯s lay here for a bit longer, hun. I¡¯m enjoying this moment.

    <u>End of Episode</u>

 Episode 3: The Prime Elemental Flame & The Dragon Cave Tour

    It was a calm morning. I was hard at work exercising when a red star came crashing down in front of me. I jumped out of the way as fast as I could, but there I saw him, a masked man garbed in red and gold armor with wings engulfed in flames. He was taller than me by 5 feet, and he simply stared at me.

    Masked man: So you do survive, child of Crimson.

    Raven: Who the hell are you?

    Masked Man: Ah, so something did happen to this horde. Hmm, troubling.

    Raven: With you saying that, it tells me you''re well-versed in Reagle Dragon Customs, so this is a guess, but are you a prime elemental dragon?

    Pyris: Correct, I am Pyris, the Prime Elemental Dragon of fire, and I have come to check on my right hand.

    Raven: Can you explain?

    Pyris closed his wings and explained that the Four Prime Elemental Dragons each have Vassal houses that serve under them. My Horde serves as his offensive hand. His left is to the east of this area. They are the Praespero Flame. Pyris was very clear that my Horde served as the military might while the Praespero Flame served as his spiritual counsel.

    I was a little puzzled by this. Pyris explained it as a counterbalance. Pyris is strong but is also incredibly spiritual and devoted to the god of Fire, and he even joked that his flame was powered through faith.

    Though knowing him, it probably wasn¡¯t much of a joke.

    Pyris then asked for a tour of my temple, and I was happy to provide it. We were still renovating, and the temple was mostly empty. Pyris explained that a dragon temple is like a small city, and the fact that my temple was so lacking spoke volumes.

    I asked Pyris what I could do, and he told me that I had four options. The first was to gather servants and procreate; the second was to call out to nearby dragons by creating a draconic spire and having it burn for a month.

    The third is to travel to Dragon Communities and try to sway any of them to my Horde. The last option and most unique is to hunt down and challenge the leaders of Dragon Caves.

    The last one seemed unique and fun. Pyris would then tell me that normal dragons are greatly swayed by greed, and as such, they form small-knit groups dedicated to hoarding treasure. Pyris was kind enough to give me a map of the known Dragon Caves in the area.

    I honestly think he was encouraging it.

    As Pyris and I were talking, Desdonna came towards us. She was initially happy until she noticed Pyris. She then got on her knees and bowed.

    Pyris: Is your first Servant a Dragonborn?

    Raven: Yes, this is Desdonna; she is the daughter of the Prime Elemental Dragon of Water Dragon.

    Pyris: Ah, my sister¡¯s child then, hmm.

    Pyris mumbled something under his breath before taking his leave. I then helped Desdonna off the floor, and she looked so happy.

    Desdonna: Why was Lord Pyris here? Was it a special occasion?

    Raven: Well, he was just checking in on us, but yes, in a way, it was good news anyway. I¡¯m going to be heading out. I¡¯m going on a mission.

    Desdonna: I see my lord, but may I ask one thing?

    Raven: Anything for you, Des.

    Desdonna: I ask that you bring me a flower that reminds you of me.

    Raven: Of course I need to prepare, but I shall return, my beloved.

    Desdonna and I soon went our separate ways. I suited up in my armor and grabbed my best sword. I then left Freznic in charge of the temple. I then followed my map to the first dragon cave. It was about a twelve-day journey; either way, I was prepared for it.

    Along the way, I heard tales from the local communities, both Fae and human, about the Dragon Cave. Apparently, the leader is an Earth Dragon named Grel; he apparently has three heads and the body of a tortoise.

    I was also informed that dragons who succumb to their greed become mindless monsters and are unable to change from their true form. Following the advice of the nearby residents, I found the cave; it was incredibly large, and sand was flying out from it.

    I soon went inside, and no sooner than I arrived, I ran into Grel¡¯s underlings. They were poorly trained, so disabling them was incredibly easy. This proceeded as I traveled through the cave, and soon I felt a strange feeling. It was like my entire body was filling with sand, like an hourglass. It was slowly starting to pass, but then I realized something: this was Draconic Greed.

    Due to my heritage, I was able to shrug it off, but if this is how Grel is feeling, no wonder he went mad. For me, it was only for a few seconds, but it was an unbearable few seconds that made me want to die.

    I am, however, curious how a dragon first gets consumed by their greed in the first place; I guess we¡¯ll see.

    Soon I came to the heart of the cave, and then I heard it breathing. I looked around and saw nothing, and then I looked up and saw him. Grel Dropped from the ceiling with a mighty thud, his three heads were connected to his body by three long snake necks.

    Grel: Fool, you dare come trying to steal it all that is mine? How dare you?

    Raven: You mean that mountain of treasure, hehe? Nah, that¡¯s just a bonus. What I really want is to challenge you, big guy.

    Grel then began to laugh.

    Grel: A fire dragon, wishes to do battle with me. Grel Deacon of the Sandstorm Oh, you jest.

    Raven: Hehe, looks like someone¡¯s not sure of themselves if they have to boost their confidence with false titles.

    Grel: Fine, you can die here.

    Grel soon summoned a swirling sandstorm to form around us. It soon became blinding, and I have to say Grel is the size of a small mountain, so this is some David and Goliath-like antics. Oh well.

    I soon started to focus my mind, waiting for Grel to make the first move. Soon, one of Grel¡¯s heads came lunging at me, fangs ready to bite me. I jumped out of the way and slashed at his neck. He didn¡¯t bleed, but he screamed.

    Soon Grel was causing sand to fly at me, and the speed at which they flew was enough to hurt. Damn, this is going to be fun.

    When the next stream of sand started to make its way to me, I countered with a wall of fire, transforming it into glass within seconds. I soon created a barrier of fire and charged my way towards Grel. The barrier rendered Grel¡¯s sand useless. This only frustrated Grel, who resorted to lunging bite attacks, all of which burned him, being burned by my Fire Barrier.

    Once I was underneath Grel, I created a massive explosion of fire that really did some damage. I soon readied myself for another attack. Grel chose then and there to use Terramancy to handle me with my bare fists. I shattered all the stone and earth he threw at me.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    I was getting pumped. Grel threw more complex Terramancy techniques at me, and soon I found myself cornered, but with my own pyromancy, things got even better.

    I soon engulfed my blade in fire and threw it at Grel; it hit his middle head in the eye. This caused Grel to scream in agony. Grel soon fell onto his stomach in too much pain to continue the fight.

    I retrieved my sword and chuckled.

    Grel: I yield to you, young dragon.

    As he said that, a golden mist flew out of his body like a geyser; he also began to drastically shrink. He then reverted to his anthropomorphic form, which was a short, rotund, balding Dragon with copper and topaz-colored scales. When I turned around, I saw that Grel¡¯s underlings were looking at me with a look of amazement. They then bowed.

    I then heard Grel begin to stir; I turned to face him and saw that Grel rose to his feet; he had a dazed look on his face.

    Raven: You okay, old man?

    Grel: Just about, though I do have a pain in my left eye.

    Raven: I see, but you''re a tough old coot. Now, then, you will join my horde.

    Grel: Such a demanding dragon, but wait, you''re not going to kill me?

    Raven: Why would I do that?

    Grel: It¡¯s just tradition; any dragon who succumbs to draconic Greed and loses a challenge must be killed.

    Raven: I am Raven Pyras, the Regal Dragon of the Crimson Flame. I am not killing anyone who shows talent like you do. Now get your old ass up and come with me.

    Grel was greatly confused by this but soon stood up and bowed. It was at this point I noticed that Grel was dressed in brown monk robes with gold tassels on the sleeves.

    Grel: I see. Well, my lord, since I have no choice, my companions and I will join your horde.

    Grel and his companions soon followed me out of the cave, and Grel sealed the entrance behind us with some terramancy. I then looked to Grel¡¯s companions and saw that their clothing had changed. When I first saw them, they were clad in crude armor; now they wore tan and brown robes similar to Grel¡¯s robes.

    We all then traveled to the next cave. Along the way, we were accosted by several people. Grel actually proved to be useful because he possessed great healing magic along with his companions. I was incredibly grateful.

    When we made camp the following night, i learned more about Grel

    In the past, Grel was a monk in a horde of earth dragons. He prayed to the Dragon Mother and acted as a healer. His companions were his closest friends and clergy.

    But after a series of tragedies, the faith of his horde greatly declined, and they banished Grel along with his friends. They had to resort to thievery, which was the catalyst for him succumbing to Draconic Greed.

    Raven: Sounds like you had it rough, old man.

    Grel: Yes, I did terrible things. I only ask that the Dragon Mother forgive me.

    Raven: Well, by aiding me, you might be able to repent.

    Grel: That may be the best course of action, Raven. You just inherited your title, correct?

    Raven: Yes, it¡¯s been an interesting time.

    Grel: I see. Hmm, well, I look forward to serving you, my lord. Do you have a set role for me?

    Raven: What do you mean by role?

    Grel: I see, so like in a human noble house, there needs to be staff to help manage it. In this case, I think it would be best if I serve as your chaplain.

    Raven: So you''re just going to pray day and night when we get back?

    Grel: You really are new to this whole thing. A Dragon Temple Chaplain does more than just pray; they can also organize missions to either gain new horde members or rare resources.

    Raven: That sounds impressive. Is there anything else a chaplain can do?

    Grel: Hmm, well, this is solely my contribution, but I can also aid you by using healing magic, and my 5 companions will be happy to assist.

    Grel and I bonded as we arrived at the next Dragon Cave. His companions made gathering intel easy. This current Dragon was named Kresa.

    He¡¯s a Dark Elemental War Dragon; some claim that he has five arms and he possesses the strength of a god. He is also well-versed in magic.

    Grel was quick to inform me that War Dragons are incredibly brutal fighters capable of taking down 20 armies single-handedly. This was going to be fun. Grel also stated that fighting hand-to-hand might be the best option.

    We arrived at the cave without a moment''s delay. Grel advised his companions to wait outside; they each took a seat around the cave entrance. Grel and I then delved further into the cave.

    The interior of the cave was as black as night; even my flames were consumed whole by the darkness, but Grel¡¯s senses served as a great way to find Kresa¡¯s underlings. I disabled them, but it was an incredible challenge in order to do so.

    Soon Grel and I made it to the heart of the cave, and like before, a large pile of treasure stood in the center of the room, and then he appeared: Kresa slithered from behind the treasure.

    He was a jet black color with the head of a triceratops; the horns were the color of cobalt blue, and his eyes were blood red.

    Kresa said nothing and simply started his attack at the tip of his tail, which was a scale fan with a red diamond pattern, and the tips of the fan stretched into a series of razor-sharp tentacles.

    I sheathed my sword and ran in, fists flying. I was able to grab each of the tentacles and redirect them, but they just kept coming and coming.

    Grel saw me struggle and created a sandstorm that was able to cloud Kresa¡¯s aim.

    I heard Kresa hiss in full rage. I was then able to punch, slam, and wrestle Kresa into submission, but Kresa was merely playing with me. He soon unleashed his shadow manipulation, causing a series of explosions that was incredibly draining, but with one good fiery punch to the face, I sent Kresa crashing into a wall, but somehow he refused to give in. I was growing frustrated, and I soon wrapped my arms around Kresa¡¯s neck and began to apply pressure.

    Soon the golden mist began to fly out of him, and Kresa reverted to his anthropomorphic state. I then loosened my grip. Kresa still had his Triceratops head; only his shield-like head had a blue and pink diamond pattern. His body was very meek and slender; he possessed the dress shirt and jacket of a composer and silver bell bottoms with flat shoes.

    I then noticed that the darkness that had engulfed the entire cave vanished without a trace. Soon, Kresa broke free from my grasp and stood up flustered.

    Kresa: Damn, damn, damn, how long have I been like that?

    Raven: Hard to say; I just now put an end to your madness.

    After a brief moment of rest, Kresa reunited with his 2 companions, and he agreed to join my horde. The final cave was a good bit away. I then asked Kresa about his dragon heritage, and Kresa groaned, saying that he hates his classification as a war dragon. He hates war; in fact, he even hates fighting.

    Kresa¡¯s main interest is crafting. He went on and on about how he loved making weapons, armor, tools, and anything; in fact, he¡¯s mastered a special crafting technique that utilizes the power of darkness.

    He calls it Shadow Forgery. Grel honestly seemed impressed. I knew then and there that Kresa would be my Forge Master.

    Our group eventually came to a lake with the Dragon Cave resting on an island in the center. I was getting pissed when Grel created a bridge made of stone for us to walk on.

    But he needed to stay behind in order to maintain it. Damn, I decided to take Kresa with me. He objected, but I¡¯m his lord. As we stepped inside the Dragon Cave, I was incredibly worried because this time there were no welcoming communities to warn me about this next dragon, so I knew nothing. If they have the water element, I¡¯m screwed.

    Soon we encountered the underlings of this dragon cave. Kresa possessed a unique spell called Shadow Stitch; it basically traps enemies in a bind made from shadow magic, so I didn¡¯t need to lift a finger.

    Kresa and I soon started to notice that the air was getting colder and colder. When we arrived at the heart of the cave, we saw that we were standing on a frozen lake of ice. Encased in the ice was enough treasure to buy the entire world, and in the center of it was a purple and white dragon with a body type similar to a horse, but she was wearing strange armor.

    She opened her eyes and screamed; she then sent purple-colored wind our way, and it was intense. I soon realized that she was a mage dragon; they are incredibly rare and can manipulate mana as easily as they breathe.

    Kresa and I were brought to our knees instantly. There was nothing we could do to counter this, but then I heard Desdonna¡¯s voice, and suddenly I felt a surge of energy take hold of me. I then charged towards this mage dragon and unleashed a blast of white fire right in her face. She screamed loudly.

    When I finished my attack, I saw that the Mage Dragon was now in her anthropomorphic form on the ground. Did I just burn the Draconic Greed from her? Awesome.

    The Mage Dragon had smooth pink and faded cyan-colored skin; her attire looked like that of a tribal shaman; it was also incredibly revealing.

    I carried her out of here, and Kresa freed her 4 companions. We all made it out to the mainland without incident. Grel was able to help this Mage Dragon recover, and through talking with the companions of the Mage Dragon, we learned that this lovely dragoness was 14000 years old.

    Damn, but soon the Mage Dragon woke up incredibly shocked after we got her to calm down and reassured her that I wasn¡¯t going to kill her. She said her name is Wenona and she has lost her memories. Grel spoke up then and said that Draconic Greed can cause memory loss if the dragon has been in that state for a long time. With that done, I asked Wenona if she wanted to join my horde.

    Wenona not having many options Agreed, as I led the large group back to my domain, Wenona wasn¡¯t sure how she could contribute to our horde since she had lost her memories. I then asked if she could remember her abilities.

    Wenona was able to recall all her abilities; somehow she explained that Mage Dragons are essentially wild cards; they can utilize every elemental magic type; they can also increase the density of Mana in an area while also being immune to the effects of Mana Density.

    It¡¯s strange. I told Wenona we would sort it out when we arrived. The trip home gave us all a chance for the group to bond even closer. Kresa was able to draw up designs for a new set of weapons and armor that really suited my style; I was impressed.

    Grel and his companions were hard at work muttering something to themselves. I listened in a bit; they seemed to be talking about how they could best serve my horde.

    I was happy to see that they were so willing to be of assistance. We soon arrived at the Crimson Forest and made our way to the temple. Freznic was amazed by the large group I had brought, but I soon realized I didn¡¯t fulfill Desdonna¡¯s request. I began to panic, but then I looked over and saw a beautiful blue and pink flower with purple leaves sitting in the middle of the orange grass. I gently picked it up and rushed inside to find Desdonna.

    I found her in her room sewing. I smiled and presented her with the flower. Desdonna smiled and happily accepted my gift. We would then share a soft kiss before walking to the throne room and performing the rite to make our new allies members of our horde.

    Like before, their dominant skin color would change to red, and they would gain the fire element. Freznic was able to help me find a role for Wenona; she was going to serve as our residential sorceress. Apparently the role of a sorceress is basically a professional fixer and assassin.

    If any threat or problem should arise, a Dragon Temple Sorceress can solve it. The only thing that prevents Dragon Temple Sorceresses from being more common is that Mage Dragons are incredibly rare, and the Dragon Sorceress Profession is strictly for Mage Dragons.

    Within the past months, our temple has become incredibly lively. Grel has taken the role of chaplain, and because of him, we have more Drake soldiers, Wyverns, and even a midwife, as well as some temple maidens. Kresa, or as he likes to be called, Kresanton, has a fully functional Shadow Altar where he forges all of our equipment as well as tools with the aid of his companions.

    Wenona is doing quite well; she has bonded with Desdonna, and I am incredibly happy for them. Some of the companions of Grel Kresanton and Wenona are female, and Freznic was adamant about me fathering all of their children.

    Desdonna was fine with it, mainly because it was tradition, so after a week-long session of passion, the hatchery was full of eggs being tended to by Sariel, our midwife. She is a pink wind dragon with a star pattern on her smooth scales.

    Sariel, however, didn¡¯t want to have a hatchie; her reason was that she was born barren, so she decided to tend to the eggs of others.

    So for the most part, things are good. The Temple seems more like a community now, and it¡¯s a whole new experience. During my whole childhood I was an outcast; now I¡¯m accepted by everyone, and I have love as well as a family. It¡¯s all incredibly new, and I¡¯m slowly starting to accept it.

    <u>End of Episode</u>

 Episode 4: The Life of a Servant

    My name is Desdonna. I am the first Servant of the Crimson King. I am a Dragonborn. We are abominations among dragonkind, hated and despised.

    80% of all Dragonborns come into the world with the inability to use magic. I am one of them. My entire existence is that of a commodity or a shiny toy.

    And for the longest time, I believed I was unlovable and meant to die alone.

    That is until I met Raven. When I was brought to him, I was expecting abuse, but instead he offered me kindness, and because of that kindness, my whole world has become brighter. Right now I am outside in front of the Crimson Forest lake enjoying the pink water.

    My mother is the Prime Water Dragon, and as such, water is my element, and it just feels right to me. I soon return to the temple. As I¡¯m walking, I hear the scampering of Fae Furs; they are gently talking and playing amongst themselves.

    They are cute creatures, and I enjoy watching them. Soon walking inside the temple, I make my way to the nursery. Looking into the room, I hear the cooing of the children inside. Walking over to one of the cribs, I soon pick up my child. Her name is Serenia; she is a Dragonborn like me, and she already has horn nubs developing. They look like they are antler horns like my own, but they are red.

    I give Serenia a kiss, and I let her take hold of my finger. Serenia smiles, and soon I notice something: it¡¯s Mana swirling around her.

    This tells me that Serenia will be able to use magic in the near future, and that brings a smile to my face.

    When I was younger, my siblings would torment and ridicule me since I couldn¡¯t use magic; they often called me a freak of nature, which would always make me cry.

    Despite that my mother would educate me on the ways of the world, she was a good teacher but incredibly strict, but I know now that her strictness was only because she was preparing me for the world.

    I would spend time with Serenia until Sariel came in; I would then hand Serenia to her and give my daughter one final kiss, then leave to continue my walk around the temple.

    I soon made my way to the east wing, home to the Chapel, the Shadow Alter, and the Armory. I soon walked into the Chapel and found Grel speaking with another servant; this one is a human named Yule. She is the second servant, making her my harem sister. She also happens to be a talented mage.

    Grel soon notices me and says

    Grel: Ah, Lady Desdonna, welcome. Have you come to say a prayer to the Dragon Mother?

    Desdonna: Not today, I¡¯m afraid; I¡¯m only going on a walk.

    Grel: Ah, I see. Well, feel free to join our conversation. I was just talking to Lady Yule about Dragon Culture.

    I would silently listen as the two spoke. Yule was impressed by all facets of Dragon culture, and seeing her face light up was really exciting to see.

    Yule: Not even my clan knew these aspects about dragons. Thank you for explaining all this to me, Grel. I really appreciate it.

    Grel: You are certainly welcome, Lady Yule. I do so hope you come again for another delightful chat.

    Yule would smile and then come over to me and ask to come with me to the Consort Tower.

    I agreed I was incredibly tired, and the Consort Tower is a place meant for servants to rest.

    The two of us would make our way to the tower, seeing several Kobolds carrying things through the halls most of the time. The Kobolds would use the tunnels to carry things around without being seen. These tunnels are made purposefully for Kobolds because having them run around like this would be seen as atrocious, mainly by other high-ranking Dragons.

    But knowing Raven, I bet he said it was okay to traverse the halls so long as they don¡¯t cause incidents.

    Soon Yule and I climb the tower steps and come into the recreation room, where we see the two other servants.

    Rosel, a Purple Luck Dragoness dressed in a 16th-century European prostitute-style gown, is currently resting on a lounge couch feasting on grapes from a golden dish being held by a horned Kirin Handmaiden.

    Kirins are dragons that closely resemble unicorns; only they have scales and other dragon features. Kirins are mostly very dainty and meek, but they can fight pretty well when properly trained; otherwise, they mainly work as handmaidens and attendants.

    The other servant in the room is named Jezebella, and she is a mist dragon. She is currently dressed in a silver and white Celtic dress; her scales have a snowflake pattern, and she possesses two short horns with ribbons tied to them.

    Jezebella is currently looking out the window overlooking the nearby human villages.

    Soon Rosel notices the two of us, and she sneers and says

    Rosel: And so they appear, the Abomination and the human trash.

    Jezebella: Rosel, stop; they are our sisters.

    Rosel: Ha, sisters in rank only. Why does someone as illustrious as me have to be with these two peons?

    Yule and I ignore Rosel; she¡¯s like this all the time when Raven isn¡¯t around.

    If you were wondering, Rosel was gifted to Raven in exchange for a hefty sum of gold. Rosel came from a house of low-ranking vassals to a minor noble dragon. If I recall, Rosel¡¯s family was struggling due to bad deals, and they were about to be cut off by their lord upon encountering one of the missionaries. Rosel was sold to Raven for a mountain of gold.

    Ever since Rosel has been a hefty pain, actively despising and complaining about her situation and overall being a huge bitch.

    Yule and I would then take a seat on the couch and begin playing a game of cards like normal. We would wager chocolates.

    Jezebella would soon walk over to the bar and begin to pour herself a drink of wine.

    She would slowly begin to drink it, enjoying the taste, and soon walk to an empty seat and begin to relax.

    Desdonna: So, Jezebella, what did you see out there?

    Jezebella: I saw a group of soldiers on the march. I believe they may be coming here.

    Desdonna: Oh, what makes you say that?

    Jezebella: It¡¯s just a feeling. I¡¯m going to tell Lord Raven in a bit.

    Yule: You really think someone is going to try and attack?

    Jezebella: I¡¯m not sure, but at the same time, my intuition has never led me astray.

    ????: That is why I have come to rely on it.

    The four of us would then look up and see Raven dressed in red and white nobleman attire with some armor plating.

    Raven would smile and walk over and sit beside Jezebella and begin to talk to her about what she saw.

    Yule and I would go back to playing cards, but looking over at Rosel would show that she was absolutely livid that Raven was giving Jezebella so much attention and would pretend to walk out of the room and then pretend to faint. This would cause Raven to rise and turn to Rosel, who obviously was feigning a sickness.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Rosel: (Hammy acting) Oh me, oh my, what has befallen me? I feel so faint; it must be my heart. Oh damn, my weak constitution. Oh my lord, please, I need assistance urgently.

    Raven: Are you done yet, Rosel?

    Rosel: (Hammy acting again) Oh my lord, your cruelty wounds me. Please help me up. I need you to take me to my chamber.

    Raven: Rosel, get up; this is immature and ridiculous.

    Rosel would slowly begin to ignore Raven¡¯s words, dead set on being carried to her room by Raven, who would turn to Jezebella, thank her, and leave.

    Rosel would sit straight up and, with blush on her face, growl and would return to her room. The Kirin handmaiden would be the one to say

    Kirin Handmaiden: What a pathetic dragoness.

    This would cause Yule Jezebella and me to laugh. The Kirin Handmaiden would then begin to laugh as well, leaving the room, promising to return with refreshments.

    For the rest of the day, the three of us would relax and socialize within the recreation room, all the while listening to Rosel¡¯s loud and heavy sobs and wails. Eventually, the three of us saw Raven walk up the stairs to Rosel¡¯s room. What proceeded was a pretty heavy and intense intimate moment that would lead to the creation of another dragon; hopefully they won¡¯t end up like their pathetic mother.

    Within twenty minutes, Rosel would come downstairs in another slightly flashier 16th-century European prostitute gown.

    Rosel would then hum a song and take a seat on her usual lounge sofa and begin to hum obnoxiously. Rubbing her stomach, her humming got so annoying Yule and I would return to our rooms. As I entered my room, I would begin to work on the dress I was making. It was nearly complete but needed some more work.

    After hours of sewing, I would stop, content with the work I had done. Soon, the Kirin Handmaiden would come in holding a tray containing my dinner.

    Desdonna: Thank you, my dear. Is it fish liver soup?

    Handmaiden: Yes, milady, just as you like, Lord Raven. Prepared it himself.

    I would let out a satisfied sigh remembering how I was craving fish liver soup during the first week of my stay here. Raven would then travel to the human village to learn how to make it after some criticism from me. Raven had been able to make Fish Liver Soup just how I like it.

    The handmaiden would place the tray on the table by my bed and then bow before leaving. I would walk over to the tray and begin to eat, and the soup was marvelous. I would then notice a cup of mango tea on the tray. Oh my!

    It seems Raven wants to make up for Rosel¡¯s behavior; I¡¯ll have to thank him later.

    Meanwhile with Yule

    After I finish eating, I begin working on a painting I had been preparing for Raven. It¡¯s a mural of Raven atop a cliff gazing out into the distance during sunset. I want to show him my appreciation.

    The sun is currently setting at this time, and glowstone lamps light up the temple. After a while, it gets harder to paint, and I end up getting ready for bed.

    As I lay in my bed, I began to hear chanting. I soon got up and wandered to the window and saw torch lights and a mob coming for the temple. I thought these humans were trying to burn down the forest. This would mean Jezebella was right. Soon there was a knock at the door; it would open to reveal a Drake soldier.

    Drake Soldier: Lady Yule, I need you to come with me. There¡¯s a mob coming towards the temple.

    I nod, and soon hurry with the soldier. Along the way, I see many soldiers preparing for a fight. They are setting up barricades and readying their weapons. Soon the soldier takes me to the chapel. I soon see the other servants there along with the unhatched eggs, the hatchies, handmaidens, and Sariel. Among them is Grel, doing his best to keep everyone calm and helping Sariel and Raven.

    Raven: Yule praise the Mother, you''re alright.

    Yule: It¡¯s fine, Raven, but are you going to fight?

    Raven: Yes, don¡¯t worry; from what the scouts have reported, these are a bunch of angry farm boys, but I need you to stay here with the others.

    Yule: Yes, sir.

    Raven would make his way to the entrance, and Grel would use his terramancy to cause an onyx slab to block the door.

    I would soon join Desdonna and Jezebella, who were helping with the Hatchies. Rosel was on the farthest side of the room, looking annoyed and pissed that she was here.

    I¡¯m going to say it. Rosel is a huge bitch, and she deserves to die. As we all hold out in the chapel, we hear a lot of swords clashing and spells being thrown as they make contact with the walls. After two hours of waiting, the onyx slab would lower, revealing Raven without a scratch.

    He would wipe sweat from his brow and say

    Raven: Ok, everyone, we can all go back to normal; they weren¡¯t anything special.

    Yule: Why would a bunch of farmers attack us, though?

    Raven: Well, from what I heard from the Wyverns, they share the same belief as the residents of the Holy Human Empire: we Fae are demons from hell and should be killed. Either way, thanks to Jezebella, we were able to win the day.

    Everyone would begin to cheer and praise Jezebella; only Rosel would be glaring from a distance.

    We would all go back to our day-to-day lives despite the high praise. Jezebella still remained humble and modest; she would even lay a clutch of four eggs.

    This would anger Rosel once again, who only laid a single egg. It became incredibly obvious that Rosel was jealous of Jezebella, and during a rare event where all four Servants got to be alone with Raven, he announced that there would be a new Servant, a runaway slave from the Ferox continent; she was a descendant.

    A descendant is a human who possesses a supernatural ability from one of the 42 gods. Hearing this generally intrigued Desdonna Jezebella and myself, but Rosel would angrily growl and walk back to the temple. This wasn¡¯t unusual, but since Rosel was a luck dragon, she could technically get away with murder.

    I then told Raven to go talk with Rosel, and he did so. Following behind her, the three of us would then walk back to the temple. As we passed through the temple arch, we heard shouting. It was Raven and Rosel; they were having a pretty heated argument. At this point, we were all worried, and so were the soldiers who would go to secure the nursery and hatchery in case Rosel chose to utilize her powers.

    The soldiers would then escort us to the chapel; after some time, the shouting would stop, and Raven would come to us and announce that Rosel had left the temple.

    Raven: Rosel will be leaving to find her own way. She didn¡¯t even bother talking about her egg or hatchies, so I guess we see now how she really feels. I¡¯m going to send the word to other dragon communities to let them know that I¡¯ll be looking for another servant. For now, let¡¯s continue with how we¡¯ve been doing.

    Raven seemed genuinely hurt because he really did care for Rosel, but she really didn¡¯t care for him or anything; she didn¡¯t even care for her Hatchies knowing that Raven was hurt. The three of us would prepare a pork roast feast for him.

    Raven would smile, enjoying the meal, and for the first time in a long time, we would have a good time without Rosel complaining or bitching, so it was bliss.

    POV shift

    A few weeks later

    Jezebella: Come on, little one, you can do it. Come to Mama.

    I held my arms out towards a red and pearl white Hatchie who was sitting two steps away from me. He''s my son Jezon. He sits there for a few seconds, not sure what to do, but slowly he gets on his hands and knees and soon pushes himself up onto his feet, claws walking towards me, and I happily cheer for him.

    Soon I catch Jezon in my hands and give him a big hug. Oh, my sweet, sweet Jezon.

    Jezebella: Good job, my little Pearl. You make me so proud.

    My little Pearl would soon begin to squeal happily, and my little Hatchie would begin to whine, and this would cause me to give him a bottle of milk.

    I would cradle my little one as he would slowly suckle on the bottle. This tender moment brought me a lot of joy and pure bliss. Soon I would carry him back to the temple, but Jezon would begin to whine, wanting to walk.

    I would slowly relent and place my sweet toddler on the orange grass beside me, holding his hand, and soon we would walk back to the temple at a very slow pace, but I didn¡¯t mind; it would be 1 pm when we would return to the temple, and Freznic was at the arch waiting for us.

    Freznic: Lady Jezebella greetings. I was worried when you were out so late, but I see why now little Jezon is doing so well.

    Jezebella: Yes, he¡¯s growing so fast. Any letter from Raven today?

    Freznic: Afraid not yet, but you got a letter today from a dragon named Imera.

    Jezebell: Oh, Imera, he was my nursemaid.

    Freznic: The letter has been placed in your chambers. Milady, I just wanted to let you know I have my own duties to attend to. Good day.

    Freznic would soon slither off, and soon after climbing the steps, Jezon would make grabby hands, wanting to be picked up. I would sigh and lift him up and carry him up to my room, and boy, do I have to say Jezon is getting heavy. I mean, really heavy.

    Soon placing Jezon on the floor of my chamber, I soon see the letter walking over to my bed and sitting down. I reach over and take the letter from the table, and I use my claw to open it.

    Reading the letter from my old nursemaid, it¡¯s mainly asking about my life and how I¡¯ve been; then it shifts to his life and his current achievements; then it ends with stories of the past.

    Reading this letter brings back so many fun-loving memories. There is a second page, and reading it, my blood runs ice cold. My family has been horribly murdered¡ªmy father, mother, grandparents, and my two sisters, and even my oldest sister¡¯s egg. My eyes fill with tears, and my heart starts breaking.

    It takes all I can to finish the letter, and I learn that my brother is still alive, and he¡¯s become a Dragoon Captain.

    And he¡¯s coming to me soon.

    Knowing this, however, doesn¡¯t lessen the pain within my aching heart, and soon I end up crying heavily. Soon I feel tugging on my dress; I then look up and see Jezon looking at me with a worried face. I scoop him up and hug him close.

    I then remember that I have five eggs within the hatchery, and my brother is coming. Knowing this makes me feel a whole lot better. Maybe Raven can make him a member of the Horde. That would be the best thing right now.

    As the day went on, I told my servant sisters about what had happened, and they all helped me grieve. Lyndis, the newest servant, helped by singing a dirge. Lyndis is a descendant of Apollo, the god of the sun and music; he gave his descendants the power of bard song.

    Lyndis¡¯s dirge made everything feel better, and it was a good time for all of us to bond. In the following weeks, my brother arrived. I was so amazed because my brother was a timid artist the last time I saw him; now he¡¯s a Dragoon clad in light armor bearing the crest of our family.

    Mist Dragons are holy dragons with the ability to heal. We barely, if ever, join the front lines, so seeing my brother with a spear on his back and wearing armor is a great surprise.

    Jezebella: Dimonty, is that you?

    Dimonty: In the flesh, big sis, I¡¯m so happy to see you safe.

    We would soon hug, and I would lead him inside to my chambers.

    We would fill each other in on current events. Dimonty would inform me that he had joined a mercenary horde and trained to become a Dragoon. He told me about the many struggles and his eventual rise as a master spear Dragoon.

    I was so happy for him. I would then fill him in on my recent events and Raven, my servant sister, and my son and eggs.

    Dimonty, upon hearing that he had become an uncle, jumped up and demanded to see Jezon. I was taken aback by his current outburst but would agree, leading him to the nursery.

    Dimonty was impressed by the big nursery and all the Hatchies crawling and toddling around. I chuckled and called out to Jezon, who came running over to us, and soon I introduced him to Dimonty.

    Jezon wasn¡¯t even shy; he was overjoyed to meet his uncle. The two really seemed to hit it off at that very moment. Raven would appear behind us, and I would soon introduce him to my brother.

    Raven: Nice to meet you, Dimonty. Put her there.

    Dimonty: Yes, sir.

    I would watch as the two shake hands. Raven seemed impressed, chuckling and saying

    Raven: Huh, those hardened hands, those are the hands of a seasoned warrior.

    Dimonty: Yes, sir, I¡¯m a spear dragoon and proud of it.

    Raven: I see the other Servants told me about the recent event. I¡¯m sorry for what happened to your family. If you have nowhere else to go, why don¡¯t you join my Horde?

    Dimonty: I would appreciate that a lot, my Lord, and I promise to serve you well.

    Raven: Great, let¡¯s get the ceremony underway.

    I watched as my brother became a member of the Horde. I was absolutely ecstatic we would be together, safe and close.

    It would be an understatement to say that Dimonty was a good person; he actively helped teach the Hatchies, the Kobolds, and train the soldiers. He was absolutely outstanding.

    My brother was once so timid and cowardly; now he¡¯s become an outstanding Dragon Mother, and Father would be proud.

    <u>End of Episode</u>

 Episode 5: The Youth of the Horde

    My name is Serenia; I¡¯m forty years old now. You''re probably thinking I¡¯m an old lady, but you''re wrong. In dragon years, I¡¯m four years old, so I¡¯m a really adorable kid. My hair is indigo blue with red streaks, my horns are a mix of pink and red, and my tail is a pretty shade of purple. Right now, I¡¯m walking with my brother to Daddy¡¯s office.

    My brother is 3, and we are incredibly bored, so we are going to play a trick on Daddy.

    We sneak our way to Daddy¡¯s office, and we see him reading a book. My brother Sark and I are giggling.

    Daddy is too busy with his book to notice us. I soon take a breath and point my finger towards Daddy and chant the spell. A spout of water soon flies from the tip of my finger, and it races towards Daddy, but before it can make contact, a shield of fire appears and blocks my spell completely. Both I and Sark gasp loudly, and Daddy closes his book and turns towards us.

    Daddy: Hello, Serenia. Are we playing tricks, Sark?

    We both come out towards Daddy, thinking he¡¯s going to scold us. Daddy comes over and kneels down and soon pats us on the head.

    Daddy: Are you two bored?

    Sark & Serenia: Yes.

    Daddy: Well, we can¡¯t have that now, can we? Why don¡¯t we play hide and seek while I have free time?

    Both Sark and I look at Daddy with excitement in our eyes; he soon covers his eyes and begins counting, causing me and Sark to go running, trying to find a hiding place. As we were looking for a hiding spot, we ran into Jezon, who was doing some spear training. We hid under his bed. Jezon was 1400, so 12 in dragon years. He noticed us and came over to us and looked at us confused, saying,

    Jezon: What are you two doing?

    Sark: Shush.

    Serenia: We¡¯re playing hide and seek with Daddy.

    Jezon: Ah well, I¡¯ll keep quiet, but please ask me next time you two wanna use my room for hiding.

    Sark and I gave Jezon a thumbs up; he then went back to his spear training. We then heard humming; it was Daddy¡¯s voice; he was getting closer, and soon we heard him step into Jezon¡¯s room.

    Daddy: Jezon Have you seen Serenia and Sark? We¡¯re playing hide and seek, and I¡¯m it.

    Jezon: No, I haven¡¯t seen them, Father. I think they ran further down the hall.

    Daddy: I see; well, I guess I¡¯ll keep searching then.

    We then heard Daddy walk off, and Sark and I thought we were in the clear. Suddenly, we felt our tails being pulled from the other side of the bed. We were so shocked. Then we saw that it was Daddy holding us by our tails. Sark and I soon erupted into laughter.

    Daddy: I found you two squirts, hehe.

    Sark: Again, again!!!

    Serenia: Yeah, Daddy, we want to go again.

    Daddy: Fine, we can go again.

    Jezon: Um, Father, can I join in maybe?

    Daddy: Of course. Jezon The More the Merrier

    Soon the four of us began playing a massive game of hide and seek for hours, but soon Daddy had to stop because Freznic had news. Daddy gave us an apologetic smile before walking off with Freznic. This made me really sad, but Jezon smiled and offered to take us out for a walk in the woods. This cheered both me and Sark up, and we quickly followed Jezon out of the temple, but one of the Drakes insisted on coming with us, so now the four of us are walking around the Crimson Forest, and it¡¯s so pretty here.

    Soon we see a gathering of deer. I think they''re really pretty. Daddy says that they¡¯re servants of his friend. The deer soon comes over to us and lets me pet him. Sark soon hides behind me, causing me to giggle. Sark has always been a scaredy cat.

    Jezon also starts to pet the deer; we soon start playing with all the deer, and it¡¯s really fun, but it all comes to an end when we hear a scream. Turning around, the Drake soldier who was walking with us has an arrow in his arm, and soon more arrows are fired at him. Sark starts to scream, and I¡¯m crying. Jezon takes us both by our arms and runs into the forest; meanwhile, the deer begin to scatter in many directions. I think they''re trying to cover for us.

    Either way, I want my Mama. As we¡¯re running, we enter a part of the forest I don¡¯t recognize. Jezon soon takes us over to a tree with an opening in its base. Jezon tells us to go in, and he says a chant, and roots form around the opening, and foliage blocks us from view.

    Jezon: You two stay here; I¡¯m going to go back to the temple to get help. The kobolds will be by soon if I don¡¯t return. Stay quiet and safe.

    We then hear Jezon¡¯s footsteps running off, and Sark and I hold each other close, trying to console each other. I don¡¯t know how long we waited, but we were incredibly scared. We then started to hear footsteps.

    Sark and I were hopeful, but then we heard this evil laughter that sent a chill up our spines.

    ????: Oh, the good fortune I have stumbled upon! I came looking to steal from the Dragon Temple only to find a dragon child and dragonborn unintended. Now, where could they be, I wonder? Ohohohohohoho!

    We heard him stomping around looking for us. Sark and I stayed incredibly quiet; we didn¡¯t know what was going to happen.

    ????: Hehe, it¡¯s no use in hiding; you both reek of Draconic Magic. One of you is stronger than the other; how delightful. You¡¯ll both sell for a hefty price in the Holy Human Empire.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    The man¡¯s footsteps soon began to get closer and closer until nothing but silence.

    ????: I¡¯ve found you!

    Suddenly the foliage was yanked away, and the man¡¯s boots were right in front of us. He was a human. He soon pulled out a slender pike made from some sort of bone, and he tapped it against the roots, causing green sparks to fly. By this point, Sark and I were both screaming. We wanted to go home. We wanted our Mama. We wanted this man to go away.

    Suddenly the man was sent flying; we inched closer to the root bars, and we saw several Drake soldiers rush towards the man. Then we saw Mama, a Kobald, soon came over to us and undid the root bars with a spell. We both hugged Mama, who was shaking.

    Mama: Oh, thank goodness you''re both alright. I was so frightened when I heard.

    Sark and I were both crying hard. Mama soon held us both in her arms.

    Drake Soldier: Lady Desdonna, we need to escort you and the children back to the temple; we¡¯re not sure if any more hunters are in the area.

    Mama: Right!

    Mama soon took us home to the temple; when we got there, Daddy came over to us and held us close. Daddy soon began checking on us, but I and Sark were both sobbing too hard.

    Mama soon took us to her room; she held us close as we cried ourselves to sleep. We would soon wake up later that night; Mama wasn¡¯t with us. We then began walking through the temple looking for her. We soon heard Mama crying in the nearby room. We peeked into the doorway and saw Mama sitting next to Daddy, and Mama was crying really hard.

    Mama: It¡¯s her; I know it was her who did this.

    Daddy: Hun, I know I¡¯m just as scared as you are, but I promise it won¡¯t happen again.

    Mama: How can you be so sure Rosel is a luck dragon and she will get what she wants? They always do.

    Daddy: And as the Hierophant, as my witness, I will not let that happen; I¡¯ll hunt her down if I need to.

    Before I could react, Sark soon ran into the room, went over to Mama, and made grabby hands, saying

    Sark: Mama, no cry! Mama, no cry!

    Mama: Oh, sweetheart, is your sister here with you?

    I would soon come out from hiding, and I would walk over to her. Daddy brought me into his lap and held me close.

    Daddy: Did you two have a bad dream?

    Sark nuzzled into Mama, not saying a word; I then looked to Daddy and nodded my head.

    Mama: Oh, you poor dears.

    Daddy: Yeah, how about the four of us sleep in my room tonight?

    Sark and I soon smiled; we were then taken to Daddy¡¯s room, and we then fell asleep together. The following weeks, we weren¡¯t allowed to walk around in the forest for a bit.

    Daddy said it was for our protection, and I didn¡¯t want to go through that again. Mama and Mister Grel were our teachers; my siblings and I were learning about the power of water magic. We learned that it¡¯s a very free element mainly used for healing but can also be used to do great damage to enemies.

    It made me smile to know that I had this power. My other siblings were Avel; he¡¯s a Dragonborn like me, but while my elements are water and fire, Avel doesn¡¯t really have any magic. Mama says that happens to Dragonborn sometimes. He doesn¡¯t have horns like me; instead, he just has a tail, but the spines on his tail glow like embers, and they change with his mood.

    Then there¡¯s Natty; she¡¯s also a Dragonborn. She¡¯s Mama Lyndis¡¯s daughter. She has a pink dragon tail that shines like a star. She has magic, and she¡¯s learning how to use it from her mama, who sings pretty songs.

    Finally, there''s Ferni and Foni. Mama says they¡¯re adopted, but they¡¯re full-on dragons like Daddy and Jezon. The only difference is that they¡¯re Thunder Quetzalcoatls, or Feathered Serpents, as Mama calls them. They¡¯re the children of Mama Ezuka now. She¡¯s fairly new from what Daddy says, but she¡¯s really fun. She teaches us how to dance, and she even makes us charms from her feathers.

    Now Ezuka, when she¡¯s in dragon form, looks like a Lindwyrm like Freznic, but she¡¯s way bigger, and her serpent body is covered in white and gold feathers to match her feathered crown that looks like a peacock tail.

    But Ferni and Foni are really nice; they¡¯re willing to play with us when we¡¯re bored, and they tell us funny stories about their daddy. Soon the class ends, and we all leave the chapel and start walking back to the playroom. Natty soon comes over to me, and she smiles, saying

    Natty: Serenia wanna go to the kitchen and get snacks.

    I had to think because we weren¡¯t allowed in the kitchen, which was where the kobolds worked, but Natty told me that they were making starberry cakes.

    And that caused me to follow her to the kitchen entrance. The kitchen was located underground with tunnels that only kobolds could access, but we were small enough to access the service tunnels. Natty and I soon started crawling through one of the tunnels; we followed the sweet smell of Starberry cakes that were baking.

    We would soon arrive in the kitchen, and it was a massive, well-lit space that was almost as big as the chapel. Natty and I quickly hid, but we soon spotted a platter of Starberry cakes sitting on a table. Sneaking over, Natty and I got close and started eating the cakes one by one, and fresh Starberry cakes are the best treats.

    Kobold Chef: ahem?

    Natty and I soon jumped; turning around, we saw a red and purple Kobold looking at us. He was around our height and said,

    Kobold Chef: You naughty children shouldn¡¯t be here; this is a Kobolds-only zone.

    Natty: But we wanted your cakes.

    Kobold Chef: I can see that, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to steal them. Now I have told the master, and he¡¯s waiting for you both. Follow me.

    Natty and I soon began to get worried; no one is allowed in Kobold stations except for Kobolds. We soon came over to the lift, and the Kobold chef told us to stand on the platform. We did, and we were lifted up, and there he was, Daddy.

    He didn¡¯t look happy at all, and all the pressure caused us both to cry. Daddy soon knelt down and said,

    Daddy: Now then, you both know that going into the Kobold service stations is wrong, and on top of that, you ate the Starberry Cakes that were for Jena¡¯s Hatch day party. This is a serious matter.

    We then looked up at Daddy; we were curious about who Jena was.

    Daddy: Jenna is your new baby sister; she hatched early last night; that¡¯s why there were starberry cakes being made.

    Natty & Serenia: We¡¯re sorry, Daddy.

    Daddy: I¡¯m not who you should say sorry to, so now I have to give you both a punishment. Come along.

    Daddy then gave us a spanking and made us sit on the naughty step outside Mama Lyndis¡¯s room.

    The one good thing is that Mama Lyndis was playing her harp, and it helped us calm down a lot.

    Mama Lyndis soon came to get us; she gave us a hug and took us to the chapel where the party for our new baby sister was being held. It was an amazing party with many decorations, and in the center of the room was Mama Ezuka holding a small amber-colored dragon hatchling swaddled in a white fleece blanket.

    Her eyes were still closed. Natty and I were so happy to see Jena.

    Mama Ezuka would soon smile and hand Jena to me, and holding her, she was really heavy. I tried my best not to hurt her or drop her. I soon handed her back to Mama Ezuka, and the party was really fun. At 5 pm we had a feast, and then my siblings and I had to go to bed. My siblings all have rooms pretty close to each other in the same hallway. The room belonging to our Mamas is in the neighboring hallway, and at the end of that hall is Daddy¡¯s room.

    By morning, I felt really cramped and squished in. I got out of bed and saw that I was taller; my clothes had ripped off. I soon realized that I had a growth spurt like Jezon, Ferni, and Foni. I soon called for Mama, who quickly came over and wrapped me in a blanket and took me to Mister Kresa¡¯s Shadow Alteir.

    When we got inside we saw that Mister Kresa had fifteen piles of clothes on the counter.

    Mama: Kresa, did you know?

    Kresa: Yes, my lady, since your daughter has magic, I was able to detect a subtle flux in her mana. I had to leave the party early in order to make all these.

    Mama: Bless you for your insight, Kresa. May we try these on?

    Kresa: Go right ahead when you find one that fits; I¡¯ll be happy to make more in that size.

    Kresa soon left the room, and Mama and I spent hours trying on the clothes. Kresa had made a lot of the clothes, which were similar pastel blues with lilac undertones.

    We found five new outfits that fit me and that I honestly preferred. Kresa soon came back, took my measurements, asked what style I was looking for, and set to work making new outfits for me.

    Mama then told me that I was now a preteen due to this sudden growth spurt and now my magic is starting to blossom, and I needed to learn how to use it better. I was then taken to Mister Grel, who was impressed by my growth spurt.

    Grel began teaching me how to channel my magic and how to use it.

    From that day on, my childhood had ended, and I had to think about my future. The life for a dragon elemental hybrid is incredibly unclear, especially for a dragonborn that can use magic when the majority of them can¡¯t.

    I would soon meet with Daddy, and I chose to talk with him about my future. Daddy was incredibly kind; he told me that I can be anything. He even said I could leave the Horde and marry a human if I so chose. I honestly didn¡¯t know what to do for the moment. I decided to work on learning how to control my magic and find my place in the Horde.

    Daddy then stated that I would be a Dragoness in waiting, so in case anyone did ask about my role, I could say that.

    I then went back to Grel and continued my lessons in how to use my Fire and Water Magic.

    <u>End of Episode</u>

 Episode 6: The Children of Aeos

    It is currently spring, and Aeos, who has long been silent, has asked me to come to his sanctum. Aeos will occasionally send one of his servants to me with a letter, but this time he called out to me.

    Since the Crimson Forest is my domain, I need to answer these calls.

    As I approach Aeos¡¯s sanctum, it oddly starts to get darker and darker, and only fluorescent mushrooms and flowers illuminate the darkness. I soon find a dome made from wood and vines, and it is massive. Stepping inside, I find Aeos and all of his regal majesty. He¡¯s lying down on a bed of golden flowers, and next to him are four green and pink fawns sleeping soundly. Aeos soon looks at me and smiles.

    Aeos: Hello, Raven.

    Raven: Hey yourself so you had children?

    Aeos: Yes, the Hierophant appeared to me in a dream, and he restored my youth. I was near the end of my life, and when I woke up, I was in my twenties, as you might say.

    Raven: So what, two hundred?

    Aeos: more like 40 thousand, but now I can spread my seeds once again.

    Raven: And this dome?

    Aeos: It¡¯s a necessary precaution. When you vacate, the door will seal shut so I can tend to these little ones.

    Raven: I see. As a father myself, I am happy for you, Aeos, but will you still be able to protect the forest and maintain the enchantment?

    Aeos: Yes, my presence enchanted this forest, and that shouldn¡¯t dissipate. My servants will also be able to inform me of anything that goes on in the forest.

    Raven: Then hearing that, I¡¯ll happily take my leave. I¡¯m happy for you, Aeos, I really am.

    I would then leave the dome, walking back to the temple.

    POV Shift

    As my good friend left, vines and brambles formed around the entrance of my dome. We of the Sylvan race were always prone to poachers, especially in our weakest state, which would be the state I¡¯m in now. Humans would wait until we had spawned seeds, then they would ambush us, take our lives, then lay claim to our forests, so we had to create these nesting domes in order to counter them. These nesting domes are designed to support life for infant Sylvan creatures.

    A Sylvan Creature in its early years needs to consume nectar; in order to grow, as they age, they will be able to sustain themselves on the rays of the sun and water.

    Eventually they will be able to consist on their own mana like I do. I eventually let out a sad sigh, remembering my lost friends and family. I had 8 siblings; all of them left to create a bountiful forest like the one my father had made, and it hurt me dearly when I had never heard from them again. Eventually I had to set out on my own, and I did create a marvelous forest full of life, love, and hope, but I forsook creating seeds because I wanted to spare myself from any more heartbreak. I will admit I did lead a lonely life until I was forced out of my home by human arsonists.

    I then traveled for a long time, and then I came here. At the time, I knew that the end was nigh and this place would serve as a calm tomb to spend my twilight years, that is, until that dream from a week ago. I was in a world of golden light, and the Hierophant appeared before me, his entire body obscured by white and purple robes except for his one eye as blue as the summer sky.

    And his wings were like that of a beautiful bird; they even gave off a cyan light. The Hierophant said to me,

    Hierophant: Serevia, the strongest of the surviving Sylvan, I apologize for the sudden intrusion of your dream, but I have come to ask for your aid.

    The name he chose for me was the name my father gave to me; it was my true name. I was completely shocked, and at that point I knew that this was the real hierophant.

    Serevia: What would you ask of me, your grace?

    Hierophant: Hehe, do not be so formal, my friend. I have come before you to ask for your aid. I have seen the destruction of your kind, and though I vow never to intervene, there is something I need your help with.

    Serevia: Well, what can this old soul help you with?

    Hierophant: I need to restore your youth, and I want you to create seeds once again.

    Serevia: Do not think of me as ungrateful, your grace, but I cannot bring Sylvan Fawns into this world in its current state. Human greed runs rampant, and I fear that harm shall befall them.

    Hierophant: Your fears are warranted. Serevia, but I promise no harm will befall your children; that is my promise. Now, in 600 years from now, a war will begin that will consume all of Fae Land. By the 715th year, the war will end, and Fae Land will enter a new age, and when that happens, your children will be free from fear, and they will be able to create the grandest forests the world has ever seen.

    After hearing that, I agreed. When I had awakened that day, I was 40 thousand years old, and I set to work creating my nesting dome, and then I created the seeds that blossomed into Sylvan Fawns.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    From that moment the world became a lot sweeter, and I can only thank the Hierophant for it.

    Looking down at them, a smile would appear on my face. I never thought I would be able to feel this type of joy again.

    My fawns would blossom again two nights ago, and they¡¯ll sleep cuddled up to me for another few weeks. I use my Flora Manipulation to feed them nectar.

    I soon begin to relax and listen to the heartbeat of the forest. I soon hear one of my servants, the normal deer, come up. He informs me of sixteen deer looking to join my court. I let out a sigh and allow it. Normal Deer: My distant cousins are a unique group, and they have a strong connection to us, the Sylvan Deer. The connection is so strong that normal deer can become Sylvan Deer if they consume the bark from my antlers. I assume that¡¯s why these newcomers are here.

    Now that I think about it, there are many ways for normal animals to become fae or gain fae-like qualities. For herbivores, they need to consistently consume magical flora; for carnivores, they need to do the same, but they need to eat the meat of a fae.

    Humans are the same way; almost for a human to gain magical power, there are three distinct methods. One and the most common way is through studying magic from tomes made by witches and magicians of the past.

    The second method is being the progeny of a Fae and a Human; in those cases, the magical power frequently skips generations.

    The last method is through the frequent use of magical artifacts and relics. In these cases, the magic from the artifacts rubs off on the user, and sometimes the magic is permanently imbued into them, or it slowly dissipates over time.

    Soon night begins to fall and moonlight seeps through the openings of the Nesting Dome; it feels so peaceful. I suddenly hear my little fawns begin to babble; they keep saying,

    ¡°Burr?¡±

    I let out a chuckle; my kind was always active at night. I soon lifted my head and looked down at my little ones. Upon seeing me move, they stared up at me, their eyes full of amazement. I then gave them a loving smile, and I started to nuzzle and groom them. They each embraced my love and caresses, and it made me smile at how soft their fur felt.

    The bond I feel for them is so incredibly strong; I wonder if this is how my father felt. It¡¯s hard to remember my fawn days; it was ages ago, but what I recall is that my father was a kind and benevolent Sylvan deer who taught me about the world. I think he wanted me to be prepared for it.

    Coming out of my recollection, I use my Flora Manipulation to bring four branches to my fawn''s mouth; they soon begin to suckle on the nectar flowing from them. I then get a report from one of my servants; he tells me that there is a Dryad wishing to speak with me. This intrigues me. Dryads are common Sylvan Fae who have leaves for hair and piercing green eyes. Dryads have a strong relationship with humans compared to other Sylvan Fae.

    I soon open a small hole in the wall of the dome, and I see this Dryad. She has long hair made from leaves and is dressed in a green and white dress with gold ornaments. She also bears the crest of the Sylvan on her forehead, the crest being a clematis.

    Aeos: To what do I owe the pleasure, Dryad Maiden?

    Delcinna: I am Delcinna, the daughter of the Empress Gaia of the Dryad people. I have come to check on your condition on behalf of the Hierophant.

    Aeos: I¡¯m fine raising four fawns, but am I to assume you Dryads live on the Aurum Continent?

    Delcinna: Yes, after human arsonists attempted to burn down the Fable Grove, my mother evacuated everyone to the Aurum Continent, who gave us sanctuary. We have been living in the Aurum Continent for at least twenty decades now, providing food for the continent and working with Minister Clavere on how to create better biomes for the recovering Fae living in the Aurum Continent.

    Aeos: I see. So is my status the only reason for your sudden visit?

    Delcinna: That is part of it. The Hierophant has also asked me to create more. Sylvan Deer, with the use of your bark.

    Aeos: Is this still to prepare for after this war?

    Delinna: I am not at liberty to say the Hierophant is simply setting the stage for what is to come. May I proceed?

    Aeos: Are you aware that the metamorphosis into becoming a Sylvan Deer is incredibly dangerous? It could kill these deer if the process is interrupted too soon.

    Delinna: In preparation for this task, I have prepared an entourage of forty Forest Guardians to protect them if anyone would try to interrupt.

    Aeos: Are you also prepared to protect them from the elements as well?

    Delcinna: Yes, my entourage is also made up of Dryad Woodsmiths and Dryad Druids; we are prepared for the arduous process ahead of us.

    Aeos: Fine, but know this: the time it takes for a normal deer to become a sylvan deer takes 40 to 60 seasonal cycles, and in that time they must be protected in order for the metamorphosis to be complete. 40 seasonal cycles are nothing for us, but the humans who hear of your presence will become incredibly greedy and curious; be mindful of them.

    Delcinna: Thank you, Aeos. We have already spoken to Lord Raven, and he is willing to help protect us, and I appreciate your warning; it will be heeded.

    I nodded my head and soon began the process of creating bark on my antlers. Soon my antlers burst, causing the bark to go flying. I used vines to collect the fragments and hand them to Delcinna. She smiled and thanked me. I then closed the opening in my dome, and I relaxed with my babbling fawns.

    As I relax with them, I sense the use of Sylvan Magic. I can only assume that they are creating a proper dome to harbor the future Sylvan Deer. Soon, my little ones begin to get tired. This happens around the time of the first light, and soon they begin to sleep.

    I once again rest listening to the heartbeat of the forest, and by the sound of it, the forest honestly seems excited; it¡¯s probably due to the arrival of Delcinna and her group trying to create more. Sylvan Deer

    All forests have a heart and a soul; they can fully express themselves, but it¡¯s only the Sylvan that can sense their true feelings. When I first arrived, the forest told me that it was anxious about housing a Fire Dragon, but my presence shifted the mood of the forest completely.

    And as time went on and my presence placed the enchantments on the forest, her mood changed to one of joy and happiness, and now she sings of excitement. All forests have some level of magic within them; it depends on their age, but with my presence, I might have given this forest a great boost in magic.

    Now keep in mind the magic this forest possesses cannot harm others; instead, it can be used to heal itself or others, or it can be used to create magical flora. Depending on the flora, they can be used for self-defense; it¡¯s actually random what can be spawned from the forest, but it helps the forest, and that¡¯s all that matters.

    I soon begin to rest my head, curled up with my Fawnlings. When I awaken, a week has passed, and my Fawnlings are starting to wake with me. As I get up, I notice that my Fawnlings are starting to develop Sylvan Runes. This is incredibly unexpected. When Sylvan Fae develop Runes, that means that their magic is starting to manifest.

    For us Sylvan Deer, our runes start at our legs and slowly grow up our bodies and down our backs. I look at my children''s runes carefully, and one of my children has white runes, two have blue runes, and my final child has red runes.

    My father taught me that the color of Sylvan Deer¡¯s runes represents their destiny. Blue Runes represent a wise and intellectual fate.

    White Runes represents a pure and beloved fate. Red Runes represents war and violence. My father stated that Sylvan Deer War Masters were incredibly fierce; they used their Flora manipulation to easily dispatch any opposition; both humans and fae fell before their might, and they were even feared by their own people. They were so feared that the entire Sylvan Fae Community worked with the Ash Elves in order to destroy them.

    For this service, the Ash Elves were rewarded by laying claim to the Sylvan Ash that swept through the wasteland. The current Queen of the Ash Elves went on to use the Sylvan Ash to create an elixir that boosted the power of her army tenfold.

    This event was known as the Great Sylvan Tragedy, and the events that followed were even more horrible. The Lapis Continent was once a great forest where Ostia, the sister country of the Sylvan Fae, once stood. The Queen of the Ash Elves, with her newfound elixir, craved more power and burnt down all of Ostia. The Emperor of Ostia, with his final breath, cursed the entire Lapis Continent to become infertile. Now it is a wasteland. The Queen of the Ash Elves didn¡¯t care; she gathered more Sylvan Ash and proceeded to wage war with the Dwarves. This war only strengthened the curse put in play by the deceased Ostia King.

    This eventually led to the Queendom of Ash Elves and the Dwarves forming an accord to stop fighting and working together for the survival of their kingdoms.

    Seeing my children gain their Runes is a heartwarming moment, but my child with the red runes alarms me. I imagine that there were Sylvan Fawnlings who had red runes. I¡¯m fearful of what could have happened to them, and thinking about it, I can foresee the parents starving them before being ambushed themselves.

    I will teach my children how to be better; I won¡¯t abandon them. They are the future of our race, and I will not let them fall.

    <u>End of Episode</u>

 Episode 7: The Destiny of the Crimson Mist Dragon

    I wake up from my bed and put on my robes and wash my face. My name is Toria. My mother is Jezebella; she is a servant to My father is Raven. When I hatched, Grel performed a sand divination to assess my aptitude. I have strong healing magic, and I possess impressive charisma. For this reason, Grel said my destiny was with the Crimson Flame Chapel.

    Since then, I have been studying under Chaplin Grel, learning healing magic as well as the ability to parlay.

    Out of all the other Accolytes, I have incredible skills, and it was for this reason that I became a Cleric at the young age of 17. Normally, I would need to be 20 in order to become a Cleric.

    Today is the day I shall go on my first mission to travel to Fae Land, visit dragon communities, and convince them to join Father''s Horde. I am ready for this.

    I leave my room and walk towards the chapel; the sun is about to rise, and with it comes progress. I soon enter the chapel, and I see Chaplin Grel; he happily smiles and directs me to one of the pews. Sitting down, I wait. Soon other clerics and acolytes come in.

    Chaplin Grel then clears his throat and begins to speak.

    Grel: Good morning, everyone. I am happy to see you all here for the morning sermon. Now, I¡¯m going to start us off by saying we are all proud of young Toria and his efforts to rise to Crimson Flame Clergy at such a young age. Now, this is quite common for some dragons, but please don¡¯t be discouraged, young acolytes; your time will come. Now, we shall start with missions. All the clerics who choose to perform a pilgrimage, please stand and make your way to the altar to receive the maps.

    I would soon stand with four other clerics.

    We would soon rise and step up to the altar, and Chaplin Grel would hand us our maps. I was so giddy when it was my turn. I received my map, and before I could leave, Chaplin Grel placed his hand on my shoulder and said,

    Grel: Now please be careful, young one, though you did rise, you''re still considered a child in the eyes of other dragons. Be wise and be understood.

    Toria: Yes, Chaplin, I will do my best.

    I then made my way out of the chapel, and as I turned the corner, I opened the map and found that I was going to Valest, a dragon community best known for their use of wind magic.

    Thinking about it Valest is on the Aurum Continent, and it was founded by dissenters from Primal Wind Dragon¡¯s Vassal Hordes. The two vassal hordes of the Primal Wind Dragon are the Typhoon Horde and the Whirlwind Horde, one focused on dancing while the other focused on archery.

    The only problem is I forget which one is which.

    This is going to be interesting.

    I roll up my scroll and continue down the hall, but then I am completely caught off guard when I see Mother. I stop dead in my tracks.

    She soon smiles at me and comes over.

    Jezebella: Hello, my child, I am so happy to see you on this most wonderful of days.

    Toria: Thank you, Mother. I have been working really hard to become a cleric.

    Jezebella: I know Grel can¡¯t stop singing your praises whenever I have meetings with your father, and he is so proud.

    I was caught off guard by that last remark.

    Toria: Wait, Father knows too.

    Jezebella: Why, of course, we¡¯ve both been staying in the loop on your progress, and we have been preparing something for this day.

    Mother would then reach into her back pouch and pull out a slender cylinder; she would then recite an incantation, and the cylinder would transform into a full-length white cleric staff with a red dragon topper.

    I was completely blown away. This beautiful staff was for me; holding it in my hand, I could sense it was full of great power, and it was made out of metal.

    I looked at my mother and smiled, quickly hugging her.

    I was so happy.

    Jezebella: I¡¯m so happy you like your gift. Your father and I had it made with a scale from each of us; it should be able to boost your magic greatly.

    Toria: Thank you, Mother. I love this gift, and please tell Father I said thank you too. I know he¡¯s very busy.

    I would then hurry to the Wyvern Post; the best way for any Dragon Cleric to travel is by wyvern; in fact, it¡¯s customary for Dragon Clerics to bond with at least one wyvern.

    I would climb the steps of the Wyvern post, and I would soon look around and call out to my brother.

    Toria: Adrio, Adrio, where are you?

    Adrio: Hold your horses; I¡¯m right here, little brother.

    Soon he would come over in a burst of red and blue. He fired over me and said,

    Adrio: Hello, little brother.

    Toria: Adrio, you know I¡¯m 30 years older than you. Why must you continue to belittle me when I¡¯m your big brother?

    Adrio: In terms of age, you are the big brother, but physically you''re a bit lacking now. I heard you became a member of the clergy, so where are we headed?

    I would let out a sigh and say

    Toria: We are going to the Aurum Continent; our destination is Valest, located on the far eastern side of the continent.

    Adrio: Oh, then this is going to be fun. I learned that to get to Valest, you have to fly through a canyon home to a large community of dust jokes.

    Toria: Why not fly around the canyon??

    Adrio: That¡¯s because the Dust Jokes have set up several Sand Twisters to purposefully make it so getting around the canyon is impossible.

    Toria: Noted. I¡¯ll make sure to cast Red Wall to keep the sand away from us.

    Adrio: Great, now let¡¯s go; I¡¯m already suited up with a harness.

    Adrio and I would then walk over to the diving platform, and Adrio would take flight. The diving platform stood at 16 feet above the ground, and I was nervous, but soon I would dive down. I was freefalling, but then, out of nowhere, Adrio came by, and I grabbed at the grapple claw hanging from his chest. It all happened so fast.

    But soon I was soaring through the sky, hanging from a grapple hook and looking around; the view was incredible.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be in awe.

    Adrio: Hehe, enjoying the view, little bro?

    Toria: Yeah, this is incredible, mind-boggling even.

    I never knew flying could be like this; it made me wonder what it would be like to use my full dragon form.

    I learned that the reason why we even use Wyverns is because using our full Dragon form takes a great toll on our bodies and should only be used in dire circumstances. I am a Crimson Mist Dragon, and my full Dragon form takes after my father, meaning it resembles a standard dragon with wings for arms, a long neck, and so on.

    Coming out of my thoughts, I didn¡¯t realize how fast we were going because we had just left the Rainbow Continent and were now across the sea.

    Toria: Adrio, are you using some sort of enchantment?

    Adrio: Not really; it¡¯s an innate ability exclusive to wyverns; it¡¯s called Aero. It¡¯s basically a speed boost while in the air; it saves a lot of time actually.

    I didn¡¯t question it. The reason why my grip is holding so well is because of my innate ability. Draconic Strength innate abilities are the bread and butter for us, Fae.

    We soon arrived at the sand-covered Aurum continent with its many buildings and spires made from pearl and gold. As we were traveling overhead, we would come in contact with harpies. They were wearing golden armor, a signature of the Kingdom of Charity¡¯s army. The harpies then spoke up and said,

    Harpi: Greetings, young dragons. Please state your intentions and destination.

    Toria: I am Toria of the Crimson Dragon Temple, and this is my brother Adrio. We are headed to Valest to do some missionary work.

    Harpi: Ah, very good. Please mind the dust jokes within the canyon as you pass through and remember the Hierophant is watching. Have a good day.

    The Harpies would then fly off, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Harpies are common aeronaut soldiers; they have Aeromancy as well as the ability to weaponize their screeches. You would have to be insane to challenge a Harpy Aeronaut.

    The Canyon would then come into view, and I did see six giant sand twisters along both sides of the Canyon. It was going to be impossible to fly around the Canyon; that much was true.

    As we entered the canyon, I cast the spell Red Wall. This was a fire-aligned barrier spell. If the Dust Jokes sent sand element attacks our way upon coming into contact with the barrier, they would turn to glass and fall to the ground.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    And as soon as things were quiet, sandbeams came flying at us, and they would instantly turn to glass and fall.

    Adrio: Thank you for casting Red Wall.

    Toria: You''re welcome. I just thought I''d make things more practical for us.

    Adrio: Praise the Dragon Mother for that.

    We would soon encounter geysers of sand, and Adrio was on point, avoiding every geyser with professional precision.

    But as a last-ditch effort, the Dust Jokes would create a massive sandstorm to disorient us, and Adrio would shout out,

    Adrio: This has gone too far.

    Adrio would then ignite himself, and he looked like a comet shooting through the sandstorm and out the other end. Soon we were under the beautiful clear sky, and in the distance was Valest.

    Adrio would soon land at the gates to Valest and stretch his wings.

    Allowing me to get on my feet, and I couldn''t help but fall to my knees.

    Adrio: Hehe, I love how first-timers get wobbly in the knees. Hehe.

    Toria: I¡¯m not wobbly, Adrio.

    Adrio: Sure thing, little brother. Now, why don¡¯t you set up lodgings for us? I don¡¯t really have the people skills you do.

    I would soon rise to my feet and walk into Valest. The village was relatively small, with only 4 large dome dwellings. In the center of town was a beautiful pale yellow tree with cyan and white-colored mana circling it. The dragons here were all elderly and dressed in white pious robes with pastel yellow adornments.

    I was soon approached by one of these dragons; she was elderly, and her yellow scales had almost completely faded away; her eyes were pale green in color.

    She spoke with a calm voice and said,

    Dragon Eldress: Welcome to Valest, the Dragon Village of Scholars. How can we help you, young dragon?

    Toria: Hello, I am Toria of the Crimson Dragon Temple. I have come as a missionary to try and convince one of you to join my Horde.

    The Dragon Eldress would sigh, saying

    Dragon Eldress: I figured a missionary would come sooner or later. You are more than welcome to try, young dragon, but I can assure you that no one is interested in leaving Valest, not after leaving our former Reagle Horde, but I will set up lodgings for you and your companion.

    The Eldress would then take me to a lodge, and I would guide Adrio to it.

    After getting rested up, I would soon meet with some of the locals. I would then discover that Valest was mainly made up of elder dragons. Some were so old that they couldn¡¯t walk and mainly stayed home. I didn¡¯t even know dragons could get that old.

    But I did learn that these dragons were all part of House Typhoon, meaning they were all soldiers at one point, but they chose to retire and take up the role as scholars and piety, and this is what got them exiled; they were deemed a waste on House Typhoon''s resources.

    I did, however, find one young Dragoness; her name was Erica, and she was possibly the youngest Dragon here, and she mainly served as the village doctor and tree maiden.

    Apparently the tree in the center of town was magical; it was a gift from the dryad¡¯s. The tree produces bountiful golden melons that Valest uses for sustenance.

    I didn¡¯t think I could recruit anyone here, but I gave it a try. I got in the center of town and started my speech, calling out to anyone who would listen, and so far some elders would listen and then get bored and leave. I continued on only until my voice was hoarse.

    I then went back to the lodge only to be met by Erica, and this was my first time seeing her, and she was beautiful. Her scales were smooth with a summer orange and pink color scheme, her eyes were as beautiful as violet flowers, and her dress was the mere embodiment of a beautiful desert flower.

    Erica: You are an idiot.

    I could barely speak.

    Erica would let out a sigh, and she handed me a flask; drinking from it, my throat was mended instantly.

    Toria: Wow, that was amazing. My throat feels so much better.

    Erica: I bet it does. Next time, don¡¯t give a 6-hour-long speech in the sun. The Aurum continent may be a paradise, but it can drain you if you push yourself too hard.

    Toria: noted.

    Erica: What brings you here anyway? Valest is made up of elderly dragon warriors looking for a peaceful retirement. What would the Crimson Dragon King want with us?

    Toria: I¡¯m not sure; I was simply told to come here by the Crimson Chaplin.

    Erica: Uh huh, sure, please remember the dragons here simply want peace; they have no intention of serving your lord and never will. I hope you can respect that.

    Erica would then walk off.

    I would then turn in for the night.

    The next morning I got up and said my prayers and then left. Adrio had already left to do some scouting around the area. I would go to the medical office, and I saw Erica caring for an elderly dragon.

    She was using some medicine; I would come over and ask.

    Toria: May I help out? I do possess healing magic, and I might be of some assistance.

    Erica: No, thank you. I have this handled now. Please go away and go give your speeches somewhere else. I would then leave the clinic.

    I would walk across the courtyard to get to the lodge when I saw a dragon collapse right across from me. I hurried over to him and quickly began checking for any wounds; the only thing I could detect was that his mana was nearly depleted.

    Fae are special creatures. Mana is like our blood; we need it to keep going, so when it¡¯s nearly depleted we get incredibly weak, and without it we die.

    I would quickly summon a Mana wisp, and I would help this old dragon get comfortable as the Mana wisp would restore him.

    Elderly Dragon: Thank you, young man. Thanks to your efforts, I can keep going a bit longer.

    Toria: You¡¯re welcome, sir, but your mana was so low it bordered on nearly diminished, and as far as I know, for a fae¡¯s mana to be that low, they have to be using a great deal of it unless it¡¯s being drained from you.

    Elderly Dragon: Well, my boy, you¡¯d be correct; our mana is being drained. You see that lovely tree over there?

    I would look at the tree; it was as lovely as ever.

    Toria: Yeah, but what does that have anything to do with it?

    Elderly Dragon: Well, that tree looks so radiant because it¡¯s draining the mana from our elderly bodies.

    Toria: How can that be when I feel just fine?

    Elderly Dragon: That is because you are resistant to that tree''s draining effects; as for the rest of us, our resistance is greatly diminished; we are highly susceptible to that damned tree.

    Toria: But why still stay here if that tree is essentially killing you?

    Elderly Dragon: Where would we go? We are too old to fight, and we have little use outside this village.

    Toria: But what about the kingdom of Charity? Surely they will welcome you with open arms.

    Elderly Dragon: they would but all of us are from the eldest generation of wind dragons, and our pride prevents us from seeking their aid.

    Toria: So you''re willing to die rather than seek help because of your pride??

    Elderly Dragon: Exactly. Now allow me to rest before I continue on with my day.

    I would walk off; I was appalled by this. Why would the Dryads do this to them? I would have to speak to the eldress about this.

    Upon reaching her, she practically admitted that what she was doing was in fact foolish, but she had no shame in it.

    I left the Eldress; I was so mad. Was Dragon Pride truly so great that it overrides common sense? As I entered the plaza, I noticed someone standing at the front gates.

    It was a human with deep red hair; he was wearing a white and tan-colored robe. I thought it was odd that a human would be here; nevertheless, I chose to approach him.

    The human stood at exactly five feet, so I towered over him. He smiled at me and said,

    Welst: Greetings. I am Welst; I am a blessed sent from the Kingdom of Charity.

    Toria: a Blessed??

    Welts: Yes, we are a particularly new type of Fae that was recently discovered. We are Fire elementals, and when we are born, we are accompanied by a Phoenix as our twin. Our Priestess has devoted herself to the pursuit of medical knowledge, and we have followed her example.

    Toria: I see; well, there isn¡¯t much you can do here. Everyone here would rather die than accept any sort of charity.

    Welst: I know this is why the Hierophant sent me here to speak with you and one other Dragoness here; if you could fetch her for me, I think we can help each other greatly.

    I was curious; I had learned that the Hierophant was an all-knowing and wise Fae who could make the sun and moon dance in his hands, but surely he wouldn¡¯t have foreseen my movements.

    Either way, I would take Welst to Erica. She was busy praying to the tree when I got Erica¡¯s attention. She turned around and seemed surprised to see Welst. She then explained at that moment that members from the Ministry of Hospitality have come several times.

    Welst then told Erica that he wanted to speak with her privately; the three of us would then meet in the lodge.

    Welst: Now, then, let me start by explaining that the Hierophant is incredibly aware of the problem facing this dragon community.

    Erica: Really, then he can save these old dragons.

    Welst: Yes, he can, but those old dragons would rather die than accept his help. This is why he has sent me.

    Erica: But why didn¡¯t you come sooner?

    Welst: Because I, along with this Crimson Mist Dragon as well as yourself, were mere children at the time of this plan¡¯s creation.

    Toria: Wait, you mean the Hierophant had this planned out in advance?

    Welst: Exactly, his Holiness can see many things; he created this plan several decades before this community''s creation.

    Erica: I see, so what is your plan?

    Welst would then begin to share the plan; the main problem was the tree, the lifeblood of this community as well as its greatest struggle. Welst had brought with him a Phoenix Ovum, a red glass oval-shaped gem that held a flame; it belonged to his eldest sister. It is an infinite source of mana, and if we used a fusion spell to fuse the ovum with the golden tree, it would resolve the mana-draining problem.

    Welst explained that he had prepared a fusion ritual, but it required two other participants in order to work. Erica and I agreed to help. Welst Adrio, who had been listening the whole time, exclaimed his excitement and went out to get front row seats. The three of us would then go out to the tree, and we would get in key possessions. If you looked overhead, you would see that we would form a pyramid around the tree.

    And soon we started the ritual; we each invoked our magic, and the spell circle that would appear formed into a delta as we each did our part for the ritual. Mana would start to glow and rise around us, taking the form of red dragons and phoenixes, and the pentagram would form a great light.

    We were basically conduits; the mana flowed through each of us, and soon the tree was consumed by a red geyser of light.

    Welst than held the Phoenix Ovum aloft, and it soon flew upwards and soon landed onto the tree, and there was a blinding light that soon exploded into a plume of concentrated magic, and we would all pass out.

    I would soon awaken, and when my vision cleared, I saw the tree; it was now a neon orange color with leaves that glowed like radiant diamonds with neon blue flowers that were iridescent in the light.

    I then saw Erica lying on the floor; I came over to her, and she would slowly come to. Upon seeing the tree, she was amazed; it was a thing of beauty.

    We then found Welst; he was in one of the buildings, but he was surrounded by at least twenty-five dragon eggs.

    Welst: Ah, you''re both awake. Good, I am about to take my leave.

    Erica: Are these eggs?

    Welst: Exactly, they are the residents of Valest. now. I wish to share the His Holiness¡¯s plan for this settlement.

    Welst would then clear his throat and say

    Welst: In the following years to come, there will be a dire need for dedicated healing facilities outside the Kingdom of Charity and the Ministry of Medicine. For this reason, he wished to create such a place here soon. A construction team as well as other healers will come to make this place into a greater healing facility, and for that reason, His Holiness wants both of you to be the leaders of this community along with your new family.

    Erica and I were shocked; we didn¡¯t know what to do with this information, but I took Erica¡¯s hand and looked towards her and said,

    Toria: If you''re willing to do this, Erica, I am willing to stay here and help you raise these dragons and build a community that all of Fae land can be proud of.

    Erica: I don¡¯t think I have much of a choice, and if the Hierophant planned this out before any of us were born, it must be his will. It would be a shame to spit in his mouth.

    Welst would soon take his leave, and since I wouldn¡¯t be coming home, I would have Adrio send a letter to my parents in my stead.

    POV shift

    Jezebel has been eagerly expecting Toria to come home at any moment; I can¡¯t blame her. He is the first of our children to be sent out on a mission, and I do so want to see how my son is doing since I didn¡¯t get to see him off.

    I am currently in the throne room with Freznic and Dimonty; we are busy planning a meeting with the local human villages. In recent years, the villages were hit by a series of bandit attacks, and they are asking to meet with me mainly to get lumber to restore their homes, but since these are the same villages that have organized several attacks on my temple, putting my family in danger countless times,

    They want to weaken me and take more lumber than they actually need, and they don¡¯t understand that I¡¯m not responsible for how much lumber they can take; that is up to Aeos, since his presence is what adds the magic to the forest, and every few hundred years I have to explain that to them again and again because humans have incredibly short life spans, and the only thing that remains the same is their resentment and hatred for us Fae.

    I have learned that some humans actually accept the Fae, but the villages in the immediate area are followers of the Holy Human Empire who want to kill all Fae, so each time these meetings come up, I have to take several precautions; for example, they have tried poison, snipers, and stabbing me, as well as taking hostages, all of which have failed, but humans don¡¯t learn; they simply try more creative ways, and by this point, I¡¯m immune to almost every type of poison known to Fae Land. I have to send a letter to the Ministry of Knowledge almost every year to check if there is any new type of poison.

    Hell, they¡¯ve even hired assassins, and each time they try to take my life, it ends with me denying their request and heading back to the temple, and it leads to a raid attempt.

    By this point I see it as yearly culling so the villages don¡¯t get too crowded.

    Dimonty has been by my side through all of it, and his insights have proven invaluable. By this point, he¡¯s my second hand, and through all of it, Dimonty still has a smile on his face, and he¡¯s a bright ray of sunshine through all of it.

    It amazes me how he can be so happy despite the hell those humans put us through.

    The meeting is soon interrupted by Jezebella; she¡¯s holding a letter and has tears in her eyes. I quickly stand up and rush towards her; the meeting is then put on hold, and we begin to discuss the letter.

    Jezebella: I¡¯m so proud of Toria Raven, but I want to hug him one final time.

    Raven: I know, but the Hierophant chose him for that role; we can¡¯t go against his design.

    Jezebella: I know, but if I had known he wouldn¡¯t be coming back, I wouldn¡¯t have let him become a cleric.

    I wrap my arms around Jezebella, and she gently cries into my chest. I can understand why Jezebella feels this way; her family was taken from her, and her brother and eggs are all she has left by this point. She clings to the family she has to help her cope with that grave loss, and this is a problem I don¡¯t think she¡¯s fully come to terms with, and this is why separation hits so hard for her.

    Raven: Jezebella, we can still visit him, you know.

    Jezebella: Yes, that¡¯s true. I want to be alone right now. Excuse me.

    Jezebella would then walk to her room; I would look at Dimonty, and he would give an understanding nod and follow after his sister.

    I¡¯m honestly not going to lie; the fact that I will never see my son again does hurt me hard. I didn¡¯t have a lot of time with him as I did with my other children; that is mainly because I was off doing a mission for the Prime Fire Dragon.

    So this was going to be the first time we would get to bond and catch up; still, I would go to my room and do the next best thing: I wrote him a letter, and I would do my best to express my pride and love for him.

    I smile upon finishing the letter and having a tear fall from my eye as I have it sent; I think to myself,

    ¡°Toria is going to do so many great things.¡±

    <u>End of Episode</u>