Dragon Skull

Yongrong Akatosh walked upon the water. The surface was pitch black, endless, with nothing but the sound of wading and silence all around. This wasn't a dream. The realness was undeniable – he could feel the coolness of the water seeping through his feet, and despite trying, he couldn't sink; the dark water had a solidness like it was connected to the earth itself.

Surrounding him wasn't darkness, but a mist filled with countless twinkling lights, silently moving around, creating a vast and intricate spectacle reminiscent of a star-filled sky or an elaborate spider web.

In the midst of this light, a phantom dragon skull appeared, devoid of flesh and skin, just a faint glow moving across its surface. Its deep eye sockets gazed at Yongrong, inspiring an almost instinctual urge to bow in reverence.

But Yongrong didn't kneel. It was his own skull projected, magnified immensely, radiating an overwhelming authority. Both human and dragon alike, when faced with something so much larger than themselves, feel a silent awe and fear.

Yongrong had seen this apparition many times in his half-asleep dreams, so he remained calm. The young blue dragon looked up, quietly observing this majestic sight.

Around the dragon skull, three sides connected to endless stars – one above and two below. The stars slowly stabilized, showing different colors: red, yellow, blue.

Without words or sounds, Yongrong instinctively understood their meanings, as a pure-blood dragon understands flight and breath.

"Deep red," he murmured, examining the left side where the stars represented kin and servants. The dragon skull connected them with chains of authority. The higher the loyalty, the stronger the chain; the stronger the servant, the larger the reflected star. Yongrong could draw strength from these deep red stars to enhance himself.

"Deep blue," he noted next, as the scene shifted. These blue stars represented alliances and friends, connected by threads of fate. Unlike the other dim areas, the first deep blue star was already filled with light, showing silhouettes of young dragons. However, due to the fragile threads of fate, the energy it offered was minimal. Through these threads, Yongrong could absorb arcane energy to cast magic.

"Bright yellow," he observed lastly. This unique area, right above the dragon skull, displayed not stars, but hourglasses, representing enemies and rivals, bound by threads of hatred. These hourglasses were dark, but Yongrong knew that the light within them only becomes effective once it moves from the top to the bottom, symbolizing the death of an enemy. Through these threads of hatred, Yongrong could enhance his mental will.

Moreover, the three areas were interconnected, forming a perfect equilateral triangle, absolutely symmetrical and precise.

At their center, phantom words tumbled and changed. As Yongrong focused on them, they suddenly froze, each star area bursting into light. The imagined triangle materialized, shrinking and embedding itself into the center of the dragon skull.

"Accelerated Growth," Yongrong read, understanding the meaning.

After one imprint, the words returned to their shifting state, gradually fading away.

Yongrong realized that only when the dragon skull draws sufficient energy from the red, blue, and yellow will the words reappear for a second imprint.

He flexed his claws, feeling a change within.

Though he couldn't undertake missions or gain experience like players, this little blue dragon smiled, regaining confidence in his future after the experience in the dark waters.

Two days of rain.

Dark clouds covered the sky, with even darker skies beyond. Raindrops pattered on thorns and mud, disturbing the dragons, with occasional bird calls cut short by the dragons' presence.

Quis Nikleton, the Young Dragon Nurturer, yawned, bored, grinding his teeth.

"A moment, Lord Quis," a young dragon approached him.

Quis glanced at the somewhat immature Yongrong, a well-behaved whelp in the group, but arrogantly chose not to respond.

Unfazed, Yongrong sat down nearby, lost in thought watching the rain.

If not for his inability to compete with the stronger, Quis would rather not be stuck here. The other two young dragons in the clan, the powerful Galadan and the meticulous Kaya, took up raiding and patrolling, leaving Quis with the caretaking and internal affairs – a job neither satisfying his conquest desires nor profitable.

And their leader, Barne? Lost in his love for poetry and recently enchanted by southern elf melodies.

After a long silence, Quis looked again at the still-present Yongrong and finally spoke gruffly, "What do you want?"

He didn't like young dragons, who were only endearing when newly born. Other times, they knew exactly how to provoke the elder dragons' ire. It's no wonder other dragon types abandoned their young. Yongrong's initiative in approaching was rare.

"I wish to learn magic from Lord Quis," Yongrong said earnestly.

"Magic?" Quis shifted to look more closely at Yongrong.

Yongrong, a typical blue dragon, had the distinct fold-like ears of his kind, a single horn, a row of spikes along his nose extending towards the back of his head, and a protruding jaw starting to sprout spikes. His deep blue scales, metallic and gem-like, covered a robust frame, a telltale sign of strength.

"Blue dragons are favored by the Mother of Evil Dragons. With time, our power and magic will awaken naturally," Quis remarked, "Why waste time and effort learning what will come on its own?"

Due to heritage and talent, most dragons were content with their natural abilities. Yongrong understood this; dragons overly eager for power and magic were often seen as diseased.

But Yongrong had plans. The "Accelerated Growth" needed time to take effect, and he wanted to strengthen himself during this gap.

He needed to harness more power and arcane energy from the stars around the dragon skull for a second imprint.

Of course, he couldn't share these thoughts with Quis. Crafting a reason, Yongrong said, "To grow strong quickly and serve the clan."

"Lies," Quis scoffed with irony, "Do you think you can fool a dragon like Quis Nikleton?"

Yongrong just smiled silently, acknowledging Quis' wisdom.

Quis continued, "I don't care why you seek these things. Learning magic from me isn't impossible, but what can you do for me? To become a caster outside of natural awakening requires time and study, not free. What I teach, from the great Quis... Let's say a hundred gold coins, plus your food ration, at least ten coins a year, three hundred total."

Quis eyed Yongrong as if weighing him.

Yongrong, unfazed, replied with a smile, "Lord Quis, you know I have no money."

Quis paused, realizing Yongrong had no access to treasures without his permission.

"Forget about learning magic then. Come back when you have money," Quis said, looking back at the cloudy sky, his greed fading into contemplation.

"However," Quis added after a moment, "I can teach you some dragon knowledge and skills in my free time, but not for free. You'll work for me until you become a young dragon."

Yongrong didn't hesitate, "Deal."