Posa

The Black Dragon lounged in the shadow of broken walls and remnants, eyes half-closed, listlessly watching the noisy group of young dragons in the distance. Breathing softly, it seemed to exist in two worlds.

Unlike the Blue Dragons who prefer dry climates, or the Green Dragons adaptable to various weathers, Black Dragons could only find respite in the shadows during the blazing afternoons.

Unlike the others who hatched in the wild, Posa was brought into the Blue Dragon clan during his hatchling days. Born at the edge of the wilderness and the ice plains by the River of Biting Winds, he still often yearned for the times spent there. Life wasn't necessarily better back then; his siblings were despicably combative, and his mother, a Black Dragon, was ferociously fierce. But there was freedom, the freedom to roam without worry.

Beneath the river, large silver-scaled cod abounded. A simple dive and bite would fill his mouth with several fish, tender and fresh, a flavor far surpassing that of the fish tossed to him by the Blue Dragon clan.

Diving deeper into the river revealed ancient, colossal structures, remnants of the fallen titans, as his mother described. Once, Posa even found ancient gold coins in these underwater ruins, a discovery that delighted him for a long time, carefully hidden in a secret place.

But all changed when the frost giants, led by Teglas, appeared. The sight of them by the riverbank was an omen of disaster. Indeed, his mother fell to the ancient blade of the Glacier King, captured after losing her wings. His brothers perished surrounded by the giants' mocking laughter.

Only Posa escaped, into the wilderness he never knew before, only to be captured by the young dragon Galadan and taken to the ruined fort.

"Cursed be those ancient coins I couldn't even take with me!"

"Posa," a deep voice called. He turned to see three Blue Dragons approaching, their scales and eyes indicating pure bloodlines. The leader, larger than the others, was Yongrong, whom he had nearly clashed with yesterday.

"What do you want?" Posa asked, shifting from his lounging to a standing posture, showing wariness.

"I, or rather we, would like to learn close combat techniques from you," Yongrong said earnestly. Dragons were known for their straightforwardness.

"Why?" Posa was surprised, not expecting such a request from the proud Blue Dragons. "You're already strong. If we fought, I couldn't defeat you. Why seek my skills?"

Yongrong pondered, but before he could speak, Belron interjected, "Will you teach us or not?"

The pride of the Blue Dragons was at stake; lowering themselves to seek knowledge from a Black Dragon was not a matter of pride. Hence, Belron and Hel's disdainful tones.

Posa wasn't offended, just silent for a moment before meeting Yongrong's gaze. "What will you offer me in return?"

"We could offer this," Yongrong proposed, showing several dark red, translucent stones, a rare treasure for dragons who couldn't plunder gold and riches.

"Or I could share with you the art of meditation. Choose," Yongrong added calmly.

Posa, initially drawn to the stones, hesitated, then stepped back, refusing the offer. "I'll teach you the Galak-Su clan's combat skills, but you must share your innate abilities with me."

"So, a trade of skills over these 'gems'?" Yongrong confirmed, slightly narrowing his eyes. "Are you sure? These are rare in our group."

"Yes, that's my decision," Posa affirmed, resisting the urge to look at the stones. "You can put them away."

Yongrong spoke softly, "A dragon resisting such temptation is rare indeed. Suppressing innate greed is no easy feat."

The dragons listened as Posa described the Galak-Su fighting techniques, designed for close combat and involving complex maneuvers. Yongrong shared meditation techniques, crucial for harnessing arcane energy, requiring at least twenty minutes of uninterrupted focus.

Yongrong spent an afternoon teaching the young dragons to meditate. When it was Posa's turn, he was serious and respectful, explaining various stances and breathing techniques for different sized foes.

Yongrong quickly grasped the nuances of dragon combat, leveraging his pure blood dragon abilities. The training was arduous and monotonous, testing both physical stamina and mental fortitude, especially for the naturally greedy and lazy colored dragons. But Yongrong's experience in meditation and his mature soul gave him an edge.

It was his greatest advantage.