The Great Lord of the Golden Oasis, My Master!

The teleportation scroll was Sophia's trump card. With its power, she could instantly evade her pursuers. Even if those Venom Bee Knights chased her with all their might, she would likely have already met up with the Golden Gryphon Knights sent by her lord to escort her. Perhaps they could even trap and eliminate her pursuers in one fell swoop.

With this in mind, Sophia decided to use the teleportation scroll. Although the Venom Bee Knights were at least five hundred meters away, she wouldn't risk pushing her limits and waiting until they closed in. That would be far too dangerous.

Just then, a shadow appeared in the distance. The shadow moved incredibly fast, its aura terrifying. Sophia could feel her mount, the Ironclaw Finch, trembling with fear, urgently transmitting mental waves begging her to flee.

In no time, Sophia saw the shadow clearly. Her bright eyes widened in shock. 

"Damn it! Where did that bone dragon come from?!" Her face turned pale with terror. Instinctively, she tore the teleportation scroll in her hand. An otherworldly force enveloped her and the Ironclaw Finch, and they vanished instantly, reappearing a hundred kilometers away.

"By the God of Commerce!" she exclaimed, patting her chest in relief. "Good thing I had the foresight to buy that expensive scroll. I'd be dead otherwise!"

Her Ironclaw Finch, equally relieved, chirped joyfully, rubbing its head against her in gratitude.

"That Elven lord was right," Sophia muttered. "The undead plague is worsening. A bone dragon appearing in broad daylight... Let's get to the Golden Oasis. I don't want to stay here another second."

She patted the Ironclaw Finch's head, and it quickly took off toward the Golden Oasis, eager to escape the bone dragon's reach.

---

Meanwhile, a hundred kilometers away, the bone dragon, Charles, hovered in mid-air, confused. Sophia had vanished right before his eyes, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded.

"What happened? I was right there, and she teleported away. Did I scare her?" he wondered aloud. "Damn it! I forgot to signal her!"

Charles quickly understood his mistake. Of course, anyone would flee at the sight of a bone dragon. There was no way she'd stay put. 

Then he noticed the fleeing Venom Bee Knights. He had seen them chasing Sophia from afar, prompting his hasty arrival, which caused him to forget the crucial step of identifying himself.

"It's all their fault!" Charles roared. "You're all dead!"

With a powerful beat of his wings, he chased the Venom Bee Knights. A grey wave of energy emanated from him, spreading across several kilometers in an instant. Despite their best efforts to flee, the Venom Bee Knights couldn't escape Charles's domain, which weakened and corroded them. They fell from the sky, their bodies rapidly decaying despite their magical shields.

Charles swooped down, crushing and devouring them one by one. Though he was a bone dragon and couldn't eat flesh, the souls of the Venom Bee Knights were a feast enough.

"Flamebird Mercantile Guild?" Charles growled, having gleaned their identities from their souls. "Bold of them to target my master!"

He also learned that this was just one of the guild's steps against the Golden Oasis. An earlier team of assassins had been sent to gather intelligence but hadn't yet arrived. Perhaps they were still en route, or maybe they had already met their demise in the undead-infested desert.

Without further delay, Charles flew toward the Golden Oasis, soon catching up to Sophia. Despite her Ironclaw Finch's frantic efforts, it couldn't outrun the bone dragon.

Despair washed over Sophia. "Why is it chasing me? I've teleported a hundred kilometers, and it still follows. Why me? Aren't the Venom Bee Knights enough for it?"

Her heart sank as the dragon closed in. "The teleportation scroll is used up. The Golden Gryphon Knights haven't appeared... I'm doomed."

Just then, a voice echoed in her mind. "Foolish human! Why are you running? The master sent me to fetch you!"

Sophia blinked in disbelief. "What?"

Charles's mental voice repeated, "The great lord of the Golden Oasis, my master!"

Sophia's jaw dropped. "..."

---

The journey to the Golden Oasis continued with Sophia riding on Charles's back. Her Ironclaw Finch was too terrified to move its wings. Despite the discomfort of sitting on bones, Sophia felt a rush of pride. Being a dragon rider was an honor!

"I wouldn't have wasted my precious scroll if you'd contacted me earlier," she complained.

Charles retorted, "You're too timid!"

Sophia asked, "What happened to those Venom Bee Knights?"

"Eaten," Charles replied.

Sophia shivered, glancing at Charles's blood-stained jaws and neck. Yet, she couldn't help but say, "Good riddance!"