Ep 6. Pay Your Respects. (1)

  As Serenis and Raizel ehe ing area of their kin deeper in the rocky valleys, the dragonlord could feel multiple presences closing in. Raizel had agreed to guide Serenis into the heart of the valley to find an elder dragon to speak with, and they ended up walking together side by side.

  Well, if being ordered to say yes ts as agreeing.

  “I really don’t think I should be apanying you…”

  “How e?”

  “My ki too fond of me.”

  “Is that because you tackle them while in flight?”

  “No, it’s because they’re all weaklings.”

  Serenis raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  “Really? The entire dragonkin’s weaker than you?”

  “There are maybe…two iire kin that could even leave a scrate. Everyone else is a weakling.”

  A metal affinity granted lots of things, and peerless defense was one of its most shiniures. Arkrana, too, took pride in her nigh invincible scales.

  But unlike Raizel, Arkrana was never shunned for being exceptionally strong. In fact, it was the plete opposite; whenever small skirmishes occurred between other tribes, her kin looked to Arkrana more than Serenis. Serenis usually settled disputes peacefully, but Arkraed revenge for them in the name of justice. ‘The strong shall not harm the weak,’ as she would say.

  ‘Arkrana…you passed down your affinity, why is it that you failed to pass down yhteous heart?’

  At least Arkrana ackled her in flight. Or sniffed her body from head to toe.

  Serenis felt a pang of sorrow as she remembered life in the old days, but her memories were forced to scatter when other dragons finally showed face.

  Most of them looked hesitant to meet them directly, merely peeking from a distance. Some of them seemed ed, some worried.

  The rage was mostly directed at Raizel, and the worry was mostly directed at Serenis.

  “…You really do have a lot of enemies, child.”

  “I told you!”

  “Yes. Yes you did. But at least none seem keen to attack us, so…”

  When Serenis turned her gaze to the side to face Raizel again, she instead saw someone’s angered fist, driving the metal dragon into the ground.

  ‘I spoke too soon, didn’t I.’

  Boom!

  A roar of smoke followed the thunderous noise. Serenis watched the se unfold with an unamused expression, unsure of what to expect from her kin anymore.

  When the dust cleared, arange girl was madly stomping on Raizel’s head that was already mostly driven into the stone floor. Despite being in human form, the red scales oail and the two horns jutting from her purplish hair made it quite obvious that she was a dragon.

  “Raizel, are you kidnapping children now?! I told you not to stir trouble with humans! How many times do I have to tell you?!”

  “Actually, she was just guiding me-“

  Serenis’ voice was either inaudible from the stomping, nored altogether. Instead of listening, the girl that had suddenly appeared grabbed the dragonlord by her cheeks, examining her left and right.

  “Gosh, are you okay? You must’ve been so scared. I’m so sorry, I promise I’ll get you home soon.”

  ‘Actually, if this is the dragonkin’s , then this would be my home…’

  Serenis didn’t bother speaking. o plicate matters wheranger was clearly on her side.

  But before long, Raizel’s arm burst forth from the ground, grabbing the red dragon by their ankle and smming her down unto the floor.

  The metal dragon angrily climbed back up, muttering curses under her breath.

  “I didn’t do anything!”

  “Actually, you did…you tackled me midflight and sniffed me like your dinner.”

  Raizel turned her gaze towards Serenis with a devastated look.

  Wow, it really does sound like an abdu when you put it like that.

  The red dragon rose to her feet before long. Her hair was a mess now, as was her bck, surprisingly human-like attire.

  “…Sounds like you kidnapped him.”

  “I did not.”

  “Do settle down. It really wasn’t an abdu. I came here of my own will.”

  The girl turowards Serenis with an even more worried look.

  “Oh my gosh…Raizel, did you threaten the poor boy to say that?”

  “I did not! Why are you acg me of everything bad that happens around here?!”

  “Because you’re always behind everything bad that happens around here?”

  “…”

  ‘Iing. Must be true, seeing how that shut her up instantly.’

  Serenis cleared her throat.

  “…No, I really did e here of my own free will. I wish to speak with your lord. This girl here didn’t seem to know where they were.”

  “Lord?”

  “Yes, lord.”

  “What lord?”

  Not this again.

  “…Dons not have a ruler anymore?”

  “Well…I heard that we did until just a while back, about a hundred years ago…but she was a leader, not a lord. And after she died, we never elected another one. I think we oed o the time because we were at war. I was still a little child though.”

  “Oh yeah, we did have a temporary war leader.”

  “I also heard that you never listeo her, Raizel.”

  “Because she was always nagging about how I ’t do this, I ’t do that…old hag was crazy.”

  If Serenis could learhing from this entire versation, it was that whoever this leader-figure was, she was not a lord. A kin referring to their lord as an ‘old hag’ would’ve gotten them killed instantly.

  Serenis tried to ignore her ag head as she spoke again.

  “So…the dragonki have a lord. Or a ruler.”

  “Not really.”

  “See? I told you.”

  Serenis rubbed her forehead.

  Her entire way here, she’d po speak with the current dragonlord about her situation. She was almost positive that the current lord would be a grandchild of hers. She ositive that they’d be able to help her somehow. A millennium may be a long time for humans, but it was only a few geions fons.

  ‘I’m well aware that ges are usually sudden, but…isn’t this a little too much ge?’

  Serenis let out a deep sigh. The red dragon worriedly looked at her and k down to meet her eye level.

  “Sorry. I’m not sure who you are, but if I help in any way, do tell! My name’s Ilias.”

  “I appreciate your , but…let’s do it the easy way.”

  “The easy way?”

  Serenis gnced around the valley. She could both see and feel dozens of other dragons nearby, watg and listening to the situation at hand like some sort of eai.

  “???.”

  It didn’t matter if they could hear her or not. Draic speech ell, not a and. As long as they were within Serenis’ range of perception, the spell would take effect.

  And as if to prove her memories correct, dozens ons came down in unison, kneeling down on one kh their heads lowered. Raizel and Ilias joihem at the forefront, kneeling directly in front of the dragonlord.

  None of them seemed to know what was going on. Except Raizel, who’d suffered the same spell not too long ago.

  Anh escaped Serenis. She hoped that at least some would reize the spell, the signs of their lord. But now it ainfully clear that the notion of a ‘lord’ was simply a fotten piece of history.

  If it’s fotten, then nothing but to reinstate it.

  “Raise your heads.”

  The dragons all raised their heads in unison to meet the little figure’s gaze. Despite being a mere human boy, they could all feel something oddly different. An unreizable, a, painfully familiar sensation that was driven into their heritage.

  “My name is Serenis. A former dragon of stars, and…”

  She sed the area for any signs nition. Nothing.

  With a hint of sadness in her voice, she finished.

  “The first lord of the dragonkin.”