Dragonlord

Ep 107. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (2)

“Twelve forefend…what’s happening…?”

The herbalist flinched as a river of people flooded the streets. As far as she could see, they were all either soldiers or workers who were all stationed at the royal palace.

And atop the hillside, the palace in sight was not the palace she’d remembered. Many of the towers were severed or knocked down; she could even see streams of smoke rising from a few spots.

“Um, excuse me! Did something happen?”

“MONSTER! MOVE!”

When she tried to grab a hold of someone, they weren’t hesitant to push her aside and continue fleeing from whatever it was they were running away from. All she heard were a few voices claiming that a monster had gone on a rampage within the palace, or that the court mage was dead.

‘…A monster? But why would…’

Even with the empire’s current expedition on the western front, the royal palace had hundreds of troops guarding its interior. The court mage should’ve been there as well. Then, whatever ‘monster’ had appeared at the palace, its threat was beyond all of them combined.

“No…Reaper, have mercy…”

Zeria’s crowd soon fell into a wave of panic. Despite the lack of a visible threat, the mere sight of seeing the palace guards fleeing so rapidly was inducing terror into the city’s civilians.

But the herbalist remained firm, her eyes fixed onto the palace above.

Avoiding the river of runaways flooding the main path, she began her ascent up the hill – towards her only remaining family at its top.

✧ ✧ ✧

“E…ine…? Ngh…”

“…Tch.”

Raizel kicked her tongue at the slouching dragon with a bitter taste in her mouth.

After rising back to her feet, the youngling made her way over to Serenis’ side.

“Lord, I’m done checking that aside. But they’re…all…”

Even as the youngling trailed off, Serenis understood what she had meant to say.

“…I see.”

Serenis and Raizel had each taken a brief look around the dungeon, checking for a dragon that could yet speak coherent words.

Together, the combined number of dragons they’d successfully spoken to were zero.

The best they’ve gotten were death wishes; failing that, the other dragons were either muttering incoherent sounds, groaning in pain, or silent altogether. Not a single dragon had been responsive to either Serenis or Raizel..

“Can’t you do something with magic? Heal them up or something?”

“Unfortunately, magic cannot cure the mind, nor can it heal wounds that were suffered a long time ago. And even if it were possible…I cannot use healing magics.”

“Huh? But weren’t you like, magic mastermind or something?”

“Recovery spells are an exception. Let’s leave it at that.”

After closing the conversation, Serenis turned to the only remaining dragon that she was yet to talk to.

However, she soon realized that the motionless blue dragon was, in fact, already no longer of this world.

A long sigh escaped the dragonlord’s lips as she turned back to Raizel.

“I suppose I hoped for too much. We should…”

“Wait. Isn’t something moving there?”

“…What?”

When Serenis followed Raizel’s fingertip, she could see a worn, tattered cloth that the youngling was pointing at beside the lifeless blue dragon. And true to her words, something was indeed moving underneath, churning the fabric from within.

When a black object shot out from beneath the cloth towards Raizel, the youngling reflexively grabbed the projectile midair.

Squirm.

“…What the…”

What Raizel had grabbed was, in fact, the head of a tiny black dragon. Despite being in their proper form, his entire body was only the size of a person’s head.

The hatchling squirmed in Raizel’s grip, crying about as he tried to escape the iron grip holding his head.

“Abrtgh! Abrghbrh!”

“Uh…sorry?”

When Raizel gently let go of the hatchling unto the ground, his jaw immediately opened up.

…And proceeded to snap down on the steel dragon’s fingers.

Admittedly, it didn’t hurt. But she wasn’t exactly happy about being bitten, either – especially with all the hatchling’s incoherent, energetic barking.

“Arghrghr! Rghrrghhh!”

“The hell’s wrong with you? What did I do?”

Meanwhile, Serenis’ eyes were glued on the hatchling, her voice mixed with surprise and worry.

“…I didn’t expect a hatchling to be in such a place. He doesn’t seem to be of an age to grow hostile just yet…”

Serenis scanned the surrounding area once more. Contrary to the horrid conditions the other dragons were in, the hatchling before them seemed fine, at least in appearance.

And when the dragonlord’s gaze fell over the other dragons, the hatchling launched himself off of Raizel, attempting to snap at Serenis’ head – though, Raizel grabbed him by the tail before he could reach the her.

Finally, Serenis returned her attention to the tiny black dragon. It seemed quite clear that the hatchling was simply being wary of strangers lest they harm the other dragons.

“…It seems he’s just being protective. Perhaps he’s perceived us as enemies.”

“Ha! Protective? You? What’s a little runt like you gonna do?”

When Raizel continued to tease the hatchling – which she was holding by the tail, upside-down – he began to let out defiant cries at the steel dragon, flapping its tiny wings as menacingly as possible. Though, it really didn’t amount to much, especially when all his blood began gathering into his head.

“Raaghr! Rgh…ghh…”

“Pft. Keep it up, champ. Can’t even talk, can you?”

“Rghh…na…mah!”

“…Child, stop that. Hand him over.”

After receiving the hatchling into her arms from Raizel’s grasp, the dragonlord gently wrapped her arms around the black dragon, rocking him in her embrace. Though his wary glare threatened to pierce through her head, Serenis paid it no mind as she rubbed his back.

“There, there. Settle down, child. We’ll let you out of here soon.”

“…Mrrgh…”

It didn’t take very long for the hatchling to loosen his glare. In fact, his growls soon became purring noises as he rubbed his snout on the dragonlord’s arms.

…And in addition, a phrase that probably shouldn’t have been let out was let out from the hatchling’s mouth.

“Mngh…mama…”

“There, there. It’s alri-“

“YOU LITTLE SHIT, YOU CAN TALK?!”

When the steel dragon shoved her face towards the two, Serenis indifferently hovered one hand above the hatchling’s eyes, protecting him from the youngling’s sudden death stare. A hateful gaze befell the oblivious hatchling, squirming in delight within the dragonlord’s arms even as Raizel screamed at him.

“Who the hell are you calling mom?! She’s not your mom!”

“Settle down, child. I’m sure he meant no harm.”

“That’s not the problem!”

“…Then pray tell, what is the problem?”

“That’s…well…!”

“…?”

“…”

When the youngling turned away with crossed arms and pursed lips, Serenis stared down at the hatchling, returning an equally confused gaze towards the tiny black dragon.

But after coming to a small realization, the dragonlord stretched out her hand to rub the angered steel dragon on her head.

“There, there.”

“…”

“Has your anger died down a little?”

“…I wasn’t angry.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

After beaming a faint smile, Serenis retreated her hand. Even for a brief moment, their little interaction had allowed the dragonlord to forget the direness of the situation.

But while she would’ve loved to entertain the youngling further, the gloom that surrounded them disallowed such respite.

“Now, before anything else…we’ll have to address the others first. We cannot leave them to remain here.”

“Are you gonna take them back to the valley? Don’t think they’re in any shape to fly. And it’s not like we can carry everyone here, either…”

Raizel’s gaze slowly drifted away from the dungeon, facing the path they’d come through.

Beyond the stairwell that had led them here, far down below – her parents were still in the courtyard, encased in a dome of metal.

Serenis briefly sighed, watching the youngling’s attention drift away. She, too, knew that the two of them couldn’t possibly carry everyone back to their nest. Especially if they were to include the dead.

“Raizel. I believe you’ve told me these dragons were taken by the empire one hundred years ago, yes?”

“Yeah, pretty sure. I think I recognize a few faces too. And we don’t see anyone that looks below a hundred years old…except that little runt.”

Raizel briefly shot another glare towards the hatchling in Serenis’ arms. Unfortunately(?), he completely missed it, comfortably dozing off within the dragonlord’s arms.

Serenis received the glare in his place and shrugged, continuing with her question instead.

“Then, is there a reason the kin didn’t come to their rescue?”

“Didn’t know they were alive, I guess. Didn’t know where they were, either…heck, I’m pretty sure the old bones don’t even know the empire’s still around. They hardly pay attention to what goes on outside.”

“…I see.”

Though Serenis nodded back, doubts churned within her about Raizel’s explanation.

A century ago, Raizel must’ve been a mere newborn; it made sense that she didn’t know better at the time. But it did not make sense that other elders would willingly allow an empire of humans to ravage their kin and simply get away.

A hundred years wasn’t that long of a time for dragons. They should’ve been frantically searching for their missing kin – and yet, Serenis didn’t recall hearing anything of the sort from Bruton or Aether. In fact, everyone seemed perfectly content with the way things were at the valley.

‘Did they deliberately choose not to search for the missing? But why would they…’

Weaponry based on Kelador’s shell were certainly threatening. But compared to dozens of giant airborne monstrosities, they weren’t anything to write home about; Raizel alone had no trouble handling over a hundred soldiers.

But whatever else the empire possessed to deter the dragons from coming after their missing kin, Serenis couldn’t care for it. At least not right now.

“If what you say is true, then…I suppose there’s no reason to hesitate.”

Serenis softly rubbed her neck. After sparing a moment to sharpen her focus, the dragonlord quietly let out her next phrase.

“…☐☐☐.”

Raizel flinched upon hearing the familiar phrase. But contrary to her expectations, Serenis’ next sentence wasn’t directed towards the youngling at all.

“As your lord, I beseech all dragons of the valley – rally to this location, and return the kin to the safety of our home.”

Once the dragonlord finished, Raizel blinked at her lord with curious eyes. It was about time she got used to hearing the strange phrase, but even for her, it was the first time hearing it used in this manner.

“Wait…that thing works anywhere? Even when we can’t hear you?”

“As long as they’re dragonkin. Though…it does require much more focus to use this way.”

“…Huh. Didn’t know that.”

If a horde of dragons were to suddenly fly into the capital, then suffice to say, it wouldn’t exactly be the brightest day for its civilians. There was no telling what such an event would incur.

But right now, Serenis couldn’t care less about what humans thought of them.

Or herself, for that matter.

✧ ✧ ✧

“Wait, why am I…”

“Huh?”

“My wings? What’s going on?!”

One by one, the valley’s dragons unfolded their wings to take off into the air. The unlucky few were woken from their slumber, breaking through the roof of their homes to join the rest of the horde in the sky.

And among them were Bruton and Aether, equally confused as everyone else that were in flight with them.

“Aether…you too?”

“Dear? What’s going on?! I can’t control my own wings!”

“I’m afraid it’s the same for me. It doesn’t seem anyone else knows what’s going on, either…”

No matter where the couple looked, a horde of confused dragons filled their vision.

Some were in their human forms, some proper; some were half-asleep, some were wide awake.

The young and the elderly raised their voices alike, trying to figure out what it was that was moving them.

“What manner of fresh hell is this…have we all fallen under a curse?”

“Maybe we’ve all gone mad at the same time. Sounds equally likely.”

“I didn’t feel any magic! And who could ever control so many of us at once?!”

Surprisingly, an elder’s low voice quickly subdued all other clamoring dragons with a single statement.

“…Something similar happened not too long ago.”

With that, the majority of the horde fell silent.

Many knew of the occasion the elder was speaking of: a human boy had marched into their nest, proclaiming to be their lord.

And, strangely enough, they’d all knelt at his command. They hadn’t felt a single string of magic influencing them, and yet somehow the dragons had been unable to act against the boy’s words.

The dragonlord’s visage flashed before Bruton’s eyes.

‘…Could it be?’

Although the kin had been reluctant to place their trust in a strange human boy, Bruton alone still held fast onto the belief that the blue-haired youth – who’d morphed into a white-haired dragonkin before his very eyes – was, in fact, who they claimed to be.

Amidst the chaos and confusion, Bruton was the first to come to the conclusion that the lord of dragons had called onto them for aid. After all, they were the only one capable of a feat like this.

But he remained silent for the time being. Those who haven’t seen Serenis’ transformation would claim his conclusion nonsense anyhow.

It was just a matter of time.