Chapter 34

The mighty wings of Ancalagon beat in unison as they rose together into the high skies. The clouds lay below them like an infinite pool of fluffy wool.

The sun appeared on the horizon. It was an endless moment as he closed his eyes and savored the warm rays of sunshine on his body.

These were the most beautiful moments. Moments when he was far away from all the tasks and obligations he had every day. Far away from all his problems. He could just let himself drift and knew that Ancalagon could protect him from everything.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked around. With a simple thought, he gave his orders to Ancalagon. In response, Ancalagon turned sideways. But instead of a U-turn, he did a single barrel roll before entering an almost vertical dive.

As they flew through the clouds, they were momentarily blind to what was happening around them. Then they left the white clouds behind and were met by the blue sea.

As they leveled out far below the clouds, a vast land stretched out before them. A land covered with large green trees, bushes, shrubs and much more, from the beach to deep inland.

Below them was a large fleet of dozens of ships. They sailed under the command of Kaelarys and were here to deliver materials and other goods for the project.

The first thing they had to do was find a suitable spot for construction. This would be a tedious task for most people. But with a dragon, it was child's play.

A light tap of the palm of his hand on the back of Ancalagon and he shot forward at a high level of speed. The powerful beats of his wings sounded as if they were capable of summoning cyclones.

He looked around him, trying to make sense of exactly where it was that they were at the moment.

Unless he's completely mistaken, he and Ancalagon should be a little east of Naath. He wanted to build this city, his personal citadel, a little further away from Gogossos and any prying eyes. Hence his reasoning for going further south on the west coast of Sothoryos. 

He continued to look to his left, searching for any possible spots close to the beach that would meet his criteria. 

It had to be perfect in every way because it would be the future site of his house. It had to be close to the water and have a large bay so that a large harbor could be built in the future. It had to be rich in natural resources such as gold and silver, i.e. it had to be a mountainous region that would also be suitable for mining. 

And when he finds it, he will make it impenetrable to dragons and men alike.

With his fleet still in pursuit, he flew ahead, scouting every possible place. Sometimes he even flew inland, to see if there were any places that even remotely met his criteria. If they weren't right on the beach, he might be able to build a channel large enough for dozens of ships to pass through. It was manageable and quite easy for him to do. 

He even found a few places where he was thinking about building if he didn't find any particularly interesting places. After all, he didn't want to build so far away from Vaylria.

But as luck would have it, he found a place that he thought might be the one. It didn't have as big a bay as he wanted, but that could be changed with Ancalagon here. 

Having made up his mind, he landed and waited for his fleet to catch up. He didn't have to worry that they would miss them, because Ancalagon landed on the beach and he was one massive motherfucker. You couldn't miss him, literally.

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As he waited, his gaze drifted inland, searching for the rocky outcrops that might hint at mineral wealth below. He soon spotted a range of large mountains, their craggy peaks rising majestically above the jungle. These mountains would not only be rich in resources, but would also provide a strategic advantage, allowing mining operations and fortifications to be built on their slopes.

He could also turn it into a dragons' nest, but he hadn't decided yet.

It wasn't long before he saw the fleet come into view. He leaned against Ancalagon and watched as many small boats made for the shore. 

But they were not men. No, they were his Warborn coming ashore. Many months had passed since his meeting with his father, and he had used the time to take many more natives from this land and turn them into relentless killing machines.

He also knew how to make people immune to the local diseases and illnesses, and part of this required the blood of the local Sothoryi. He made a potion that allowed the immune system of the human body to reach extreme heights. Poison would still work, as there are poisons that are too fast to react to properly, but the diseases wouldn't stand a chance.

But he didn't make any more after he found out how to make them. Instead, he made more of his Warborn, as they could do all the work needed in the beginning.

Among other things, his Warborn need to find new Sothoryi, partly to make more Warborn, but also to make Bloodfarms for his potions and to breed them. There are only so many Sothoryi he can use, so he needed to ensure a continuous supply.

He needs them to bring new children to the world to produce more blood or to turn them into Warborn.

"Start by cutting down the trees in the area. We don't need them at the moment, and they only hinder our work. "He ordered a group of them, watching as they picked up their axes and went to work.

Next, he turned to another group of Warborn: "Clear the rubble and prepare the ground for the foundations. We need to set up a secure perimeter and build temporary shelters."

"And you," he said, pointing to the Warborn who were equipped to fight, "bring me as many Sothyori as you can. Go! "

After he had distributed the tasks, he sat down and felt the sand under his feet. He had never felt sand in his hand in his new life. There were no beaches in Vaylria and certainly none in the north. 

And although there were beaches in Lys and Elyria, he had not yet found time to visit them. In both Elyria and Lys, he was very busy or distracted.

It was wonderful to feel sand in his hand again. It brought back so many childhood memories from his old life, even though he had lost the emotional connection to those around him, he could still remember them and how much fun he had.

And although he had lost his family from his old life, he would make sure that his new family would not only live, but reach heights that had never been seen before.

He shook his head to clear his mind. Now was not the time to be melancholic. He rose and looked around. His Warborn were already working.

Their enormous strength made it easy for them to cut down the trees. He could have helped them with his fire magic, but he was in need of the wood and was in no hurry. His Warborn worked tirelessly and were perfect workers when they weren't bashing heads and cutting throats.

But the most important thing was to build a temporary shelter first. The risk of wild animals or the local Sothyori attacking workers who were not his Warborn was something he could not afford.

There are currently no workers who aren't his Warborn, but there will be many in the future. As good as his Warborn are, they aren't architects and aren't known for being good at the finer things, but they are able to cut down the trees, hunt the locals, and craft him a temporary shelter among other things. 

Once he has his Bloodfarm up and running, and enough potions for all the slaves who will be working on the project, he will order the men on his ships to transport the materials and slaves to the coast so that the actual construction can begin. 

Until then, he will be making potions, transforming the land, and making the initial preparations.

A few hours later, the group of Warborn who had been hunting for their kind returned. They had brought with them several dozen Sothyori, tied up at the hands and feet with tight knots.

This wasn't the smartest thing to do when it came to these natives, but his creatures wouldn't mind beating them up one more time if they tried to resist.

One of them knelt before him. "As you commanded, Master."

"Good," he replied, "chain them up with steel chains and go out hunting again."

"Yes, Master."

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Yo, yo, yo, new Chapter and all that.

Do you want a time jump soon, where he is older, with wedding etc etc, or not? Just asking, not sure myself though.