Wilderness

In the wilderness of the eastern forests, five young dragons tread through the dense thorn bushes, their faces alight with excitement. They had assumed that freedom was not theirs to have before reaching the age of young dragons, confined to the cage-like courtyards of their ruined fortress. Unexpectedly, their leader had a change of heart and sent them on a trial, casting them into the wild, neglected mountains.

Golden rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, offering the young dragons what they considered perfect weather. Their journey was not too arduous, nor did they have to worry about getting dirty in the mud and muck. More importantly, the clear day allowed them to use their keen sense of smell to track the scent of prey, an advantage lost in rainy weather when scents are washed away.

Posa led the group, moving with the grace and swiftness of a panther hunting in the forest. His footsteps were silent on the leaves and twigs, a testament to the superior olfactory senses of black dragons—a gift that allowed him to detect scents from afar. The group relied on him to locate the griffins.

In the dense forest, sight was limited, vision obstructed just a few steps ahead. Only large ferns and shrubs were visible, a sea of green in the height of summer.

Aisaria followed close behind Posa, taking the second position. As a green dragon, she was well-adapted to the forest environment, and her exceptional perception skills complemented Posa's, helping the group navigate their surroundings more effectively.

Behind them were Oser, Kazan, and Yongrong, the larger dragons of the group, following the smaller ones.

Kazan, carefree and distractible, pushed through the bushes, creating a loud rustling sound. Initially enthusiastic, he gradually grew impatient as time passed. With a crack, he snapped a fern's branch, causing a cascade of colorful bugs to fall on Oser. Startled at first, Oser soon started licking them off his body, swallowing both poisonous and harmless bugs alike, his face showing contentment.

A small incident prompted the young dragons to pause. Yongrong took a deep breath, relishing the fresh air of the forest and gazing at the towering treetops. "The Feeder said that crossing the Oak Crown marks our true entry into the wild," he mused.

"This area, from here to the Palm Cliffs, is nominally under our clan's control, but no one resides here," added Aisaria. "There might not be extremely powerful monsters in these woods, but dangers still lurk. We must be cautious."

The area was once inhabited by a green dragon, Syvia Saraphine, a robust female who briefly allied with the blue dragon family as a mate. The Oak Crown, her former lair, could only be nurtured by the magic of a green dragon.

Since Syvia's departure, the blue dragon family had not chosen to expand in this direction, deterred by the effort and time required.

"There's nothing yet," Posa said, turning to the others. "To find the griffins, we must venture deeper into the mountains."

"The terrain map shows this place is vast," Kazan grumbled. "Searching like this, who knows when we'll find them. By the time we do, the griffins' wounds might have healed."

Kazan suggested splitting up and searching from the air, to which Aisaria sharply retorted. "Fool. Haven't your dragon legacies taught you anything? We're after adult Silver-Plumed Griffins. Their flight abilities and vision surpass ours. If we're exposed in the sky, they'll spot us first, leaving us with no advantage whether they choose to attack or flee."

"No one here can handle an adult Silver-Plume alone. Splitting up is suicide," she continued. "No wonder red dragons are often killed like beasts by adventurers. Your arrogant and foolish minds are not much different from those of beasts."

Inter-dragon rivalry was common: measuring wisdom against red dragons, cunning against blue dragons, courage against green dragons, and strength against black dragons. This was a skill every young dragon in the group had mastered.

Kazan's expression darkened at Aisaria's words. "Watch your position, green dragon," he warned. "Your words could be your undoing. I could kill you here and tell the Feeder you fell to griffins. Even if discovered later, the clan wouldn't punish me much for a dead dragon."

As the air grew tense with his tyrannical dragon aura, Aisaria's scales clinked open. She regretted provoking the clan's prince but couldn't bow to Kazan due to her pride.

Looking around for support, she found none. Oser turned away, pretending not to see, and Posa remained silent, his gaze fixed on Yongrong.

In an instant, Aisaria found herself isolated, with Kazan closing in.

"That's enough, Kazan. You've scared her," Yongrong intervened, knowing how to appease the volatile dragon. He had calmed Kazan in a previous duel. "Don't kill this green dragon. We need her perception in these woods."

"Watch your tongue. There won't be a next time," Kazan warned, shifting his gaze from Aisaria to Yongrong. "If you're interested in this female, I'll give her a chance, but the debt falls on you. When we return, you must…"

His words were cut off by a sudden flash of lightning, a violent spell that could only come from a pure-blooded blue dragon. Lightning arced from Yongrong, narrowly missing Kazan and shredding fern leaves before striking a large tree, its canopy quaking as debris rained down like a storm.

"Yongrong, are you declaring war on me? Over a female dragon?" Kazan roared, flames erupting around him.

Posa, sensing something amiss in the air, quickly moved past Kazan's flames and tore through the ferns, his gaze fixed on the tree struck by Yongrong.

"You've caught our dinner," he said to Yongrong.

A python with black and white patterns, not as challenging as a Titan Python and less intelligent, lay coiled around the tree trunk, its green eyes glaring and its forked red tongue hanging limply.

Nearby, the scent of burnt flesh lingered.

"It's a spotted python, a relative of the Titan Python, but far less troublesome. Its hide is tough, but it lacks magical resistance," Aisaria explained, seizing the opportunity to distance herself from Kazan.

She recognized most species in the forest and was familiar with their characteristics. Examining the python, she found numerous fresh wounds on its belly, likely caused by stone knives and spears. Holding an arrowhead found among the wounds, she announced, "There's an intelligent species in these woods!"

"The wounds are fresh. Their settlement must be nearby, possibly within close proximity," Posa rasped.

The dragons, including Kazan, showed concern. They feared intelligent species more than formidable beasts. Dragon legacies taught that intelligent species were always the greatest threat to dragons, from hatchlings to ancients.

"These could be Syvia's dependents," Aisaria speculated. "After her departure, they lost their master but remained in the forest."

"Relax," Yongrong reassured them. "Even if there are intelligent beings, they're not strong fighters, or they wouldn't have failed to hunt this python. Don't worry too much."

His words seemed to dispel the gloom. Oser eyed the python, eyeing a chunk of meat. "It's feeding time. If you're not eating, may I start?"

"I want fish. There's a lake nearby. I'll go there," Posa said, preferring fish, a black dragon's favored food.

Aisaria and Oser immediately set to work, biting into the python. Even as strong members of the dragon group, it was rare for them to have such fresh food in the courtyard.

Kazan breathed fire to cook a piece of meat, as red dragons enjoyed flame-cooked food. Yongrong, unfazed, tore off two large pieces of meat from the python and joined Kazan in grilling.

The presence of an intelligent species nearby, a concern for the young dragons, seemed to please Yongrong. He was eager to subjugate dependents and harness their power through chains of dominance. Compared to this, hunting griffins seemed less significant.