King slowly approached the red dragoness, black flames licking across his claws, causing the ground beneath him to melt with each step. He circled around her, inspecting her closely. Rovari stood firm, her posture unwavering, eyes fixed on him as he moved, never turning her head. Finally, King stopped a few meters in front of her, flaring his nostrils before speaking.

  "Your offer is intriguing, but I do not plan to stay or abandon my first brood to a matriarch I hardly know. You may leave with your honor intact," King declared.

  Alistair wasn’t sure if he should be proud or disappointed in King. Giving her an out was the right call, yet the idea of adding a dragon to their ranks would be incredibly advantageous, and giving her some incentives would have gone a long way. He couldn't quite gauge her intentions either—her aura control was impeccable, betraying nothing. Would she accept King’s offer to leave, or would she press the matter further?

  There was a long pause, during which Rovari continued to eye King, her posture loosening slightly. She moved in closer, now circling around him in turn, but much closer than he had done moments before. As she brushed against him, her tail almost playfully stroked along his cheek.

  "Then I will join your flight," she declared, her voice resolute. "It is an honor to sire hatchlings with a progenitor of such a powerful new line. Our brood will surpass all others."

  Alistair raised an eyebrow and glanced at Riseth, who shrugged.

  "I don’t know mating rituals for dragons or beasts in general," she said through the Akashic Link, "but it makes sense that they’d want strong offspring, especially with a new species more powerful than their own."

  Alistair nodded in agreement, watching the exchange unfold, satisfied with how things were progressing. However, through their link, he sensed something entirely unexpected—King, usually the picture of confidence, seemed flustered. It was an emotion King had never shown before, and he did his best to mask it from the others. Alistair couldn’t help but let a wide grin spread across his face, one that quickly earned him a sharp glare from the dragon.

  Raising his hands defensively, Alistair kept the smug smile in place, sensing that King was struggling to figure out how to respond next.

  “That is acceptable,” King finally managed, his voice steady despite the earlier hesitation.

  “Excellent,” Rovari purred, moving to stand beside him, her gaze briefly drifting toward Alistair and Riseth.

  Alistair quickly schooled his expression, offering her a welcoming smile. “Then we formally invite you to join the Ryser Clan.”

  “Are you proficient with Polymorph?” Riseth added, her tone practical. “The ship we arrived in isn’t quite large enough for your true form.”

  Rovari bowed her head, accepting the invitation. "Of course," she replied smoothly. With a shimmer of magic, her form began to shift. She shrank down to a tall, statuesque woman, her sharp features still holding a hint of draconic majesty as her horns and tail remained. The same regal horns curled back from her head, framing her long, flowing red hair. Her skin was pale, and a collection of crimson scales barely covered her modesty. Alistair could tell she wasn’t simply adopting a typical human guise—she had clearly imitated King's humanoid form, taking on more humanoid traits than draconic ones.

  Alistair wasn’t sure if Rovari had used Polymorph frequently before, as her form still retained several draconic features. Traces of crimson scales lingered along her collarbone and legs and a draconic tail protruded from above her behind, hinting at her true nature. It was clear that while she had adopted a more humanoid appearance, she hadn’t fully shed her draconic heritage.

  "Will this suffice?" Rovari asked, a self-satisfied expression on her face as she eyed King's reaction.

  Riseth shook her head, offering Rovari one of the spare enchanted dresses they carried alongside a storage ring. The Dragoness took the dress with an intrigued expression and put it on before turning it into armor similar to what Riseth was wearing.

  King also shifted back into his humanoid form, which hadn’t changed drastically, though he was noticeably larger and more muscular than before. His form now showed patches of dark scales and armor plating in practical areas, reinforcing his already imposing presence. Despite the subtle changes, the essence of his previous form remained, just amplified by his recent evolution.

  King nodded in approval; his eyes had swept over Rovari a bit longer than Alistair would have considered polite. She, however, seemed to enjoy the attention, her tail flicking slightly and a small predatory smile tugging at her lips. That was just Alistair’s guess based on experience, though, as her Aura Veil was still as tight as an iron curtain, hiding any emotions from leaking through. Unlike Nessyra, he didn't specialize in social skills, so he couldn’t be entirely sure what her true emotions were.

  Alistair approached Rovari, and her draconic eyes immediately locked onto him, curiosity flickering across her face.

  "We have plans to expand our faction's influence on this world," Alistair began. "We’d prefer to do so through peaceful means rather than attempting to conquer a planet teeming with powerful dragons flights. Based on our observations, the copper dragon flight seemed the most likely to cooperate while being sufficiently large. However, as a native, your opinion would be appreciated."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Rovari tilted her head, placing a finger thoughtfully on her lip, her hip jutting out as she pondered. "The Korretesh Flight is a far better choice than my former Rhalik or the Nythraxion Flights. Our leaders were stubborn, clinging too tightly to tradition and impeding our growth and potential to hold on to power. The purging of wrong colored hatchlings... well, it hasn’t sat well with many of the females, not just in my flight but across all others. Many have taken their hatchlings and fled, seeking shelter rather than watch their eggs or young crushed."

  She started to pace, her gaze drifting into the distance. "If you aligned with the Korretesh Flight and demonstrated enough strength, many would defect. But, you’d have to kill a lot of the elders and leaders. They would not hesitate to challenge you—or slaughter anyone who dared to defect or even showed any intent of rebellion," she added, her tone laced with a hint of bitterness.

  Alistair frowned slightly. He had a good idea now why Rovari had such a strong aura control; rebellious dragons likely didn't live for very long.

  Rovari paused, considering her answer. "I haven’t seen them fight in ages," she began, her tone cautious. "But based on what I know—and what I’ve seen of you—it’s hard to say who would win in a fight. For non-dragons, you’re powerful, and I suspect King could defeat most of them in a fair fight. But it would be dangerous, and they likely wouldn't fight fair if threatened. Those old monsters have a lot of tricks up their sleeve," she added, a touch of unease flickering across her expression.

  Alistair waved a hand dismissively. "We don’t have the time to enact any of this right now; there are more pressing matters. For now, establishing contact with the Korretesh Flight will be sufficient."

  "More pressing matters than defeating dragon elders?" Rovari echoed, raising an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the priorities of her new companions.

  "The universe is vast," Riseth replied, bringing out the Artemis, "and now there’s an entire multiverse to contend with—its influences and its invaders."

  Rovari’s eyes flicked between Riseth and the craft, her curiosity piqued, yet a glimmer of hesitation showed. Alistair could almost see her struggling to grasp what lay beyond her world. There's a lot we will have to catch her up on and things she doesn't understand, he thought. They'd need to bring her up to speed with technology, and on what lay beyond the flights, a reality far greater than anything she'd known. Alistair considered this and more as they boarded the Artemis.

  With Rovari’s help, locating the seat of power for the Korretesh Flight was straightforward. She seemed utterly fascinated by the Akashic Link skill she’d gained by joining the clan, as well as by the various displays and holograms the Artemis could produce. Alistair watched as she inspected a hologram of the planet, her head tilted thoughtfully. Though the perspective was new to her, she quickly identified familiar landmarks, tracing her nail over a mountain range in the southern hemisphere.

  "Those are the Korretesh Mountains," she said, tapping the display. "It’s been their seat of power for as long as I can remember. They’re led by the coppers, Nazes and Kaxes. This elder pair isn’t known for their strength, but their leadership. The Korretesh Flight is the largest for a reason; their numbers keep them mostly safe from the others. Still, if the Rhalik and Nythraxion elders truly sought to destroy them... I doubt their numbers alone could hold those elders and their followers back."

  "Wouldn't the other flights interfere?" Riseth questioned.

  Rovari scrunched her face in thought. "Possibly. The greens or bronzes might interfere, depending on the situation, to maintain the status quo. Some small groups of gold and silver dragons would certainly come to their aid, but their numbers are few," she explained. "None have reached elder status; most golds and silvers are purged as threats to the established order. A few were born into the Copper Flight, and others were smuggled away by dragonesses willing to risk everything—but many were killed in the attempt."

  "What is this planet even called?" Alistair asked.

  Rovari looked at Alistair with mild surprise, as if he’d asked an obvious question. "The planet has no name,” she replied simply. “A true name will only be given when one flight reigns supreme."

  Rovari treated the planet’s lack of a name as if it were obvious, but for Alistair, it offered an intriguing glimpse into dragon culture. He couldn’t be sure if this was a universal custom among dragons across the multiverse, but it provided valuable insight given their limited understanding of dragon society.

  As he glanced at the screens, scanning the Korretesh Mountains for a suitable landing site, he was struck by the number and diversity of dragons near the range. Copper dragons were by far the most numerous, though quite a few hybrids existed, mostly copper crossbreeds, with others from entirely separate lineages. The Korretesh Flight boasted at least a few hundred dragons, a far larger number than most smaller flights combined.

  After some time, they pinpointed a safe landing site out of immediate reach of the patrolling dragons. Riseth stored the Artemis once they disembarked, and it wasn’t long before they were surrounded by a small group of dragons—primarily coppers, with a few displaying subtle variations in hue and lineage.

  The largest dragon among them stepped forward, his wary eyes fixed on Alistair and his small group. Alistair noted the mix of copper and red features in the dragon’s scales—a hybrid, it seemed, combining traits of both lineages.

  He recalled fragmented records he’d read on dragon subspecies. Certain texts labeled these mixed dragons as “mutts,” while others recognized them as “mixed” or “bicolored” species, particularly when traits were consistent across their offspring. The multiverse held countless unique dragon types, but this planet primarily seemed to host more common metallic and distinctly colored species. Notably, this balance could shift if the planet’s average grade rose, enabling dragons here to evolve further through grade advancement. Notably absent were the rarer shades; so far, he hadn’t spotted any pink, purple, or white dragons, among others.

  The bicolored dragon halted at a safe distance, his movements deliberate as he took his time, seemingly waiting for additional dragons to gather. Those already present watched Alistair’s group closely, their muscles tense and postures ready to react at a moment’s notice.

  “My name is Garrosh. How may I address you, travelers?” the dragon asked, his voice a deep rumble.

  “We are the Ryser Clan, and we wish to negotiate with the Korretesh Flight,” Alistair responded.

  Garrosh studied them intently, his aura control noteworthy, though not as seamless as Rovari’s. Through the cracks, Alistair glimpsed the dragon’s curiosity mingled with a trace of confusion as he assessed them.

  “I recognize that scent—it’s Rovari of the Rhalik Flight,” one of the copper dragons spoke up.

  A few of the gathered dragons tensed at the mention of the Rhalik Flight but relaxed when the copper who’d spoken waved her wing dismissively.

  “She isn’t a brute like most of them,” the copper added, “she’s a friend of Erexas.”

  The clarification seemed to ease the tension among the dragons, though it sparked confusion within Alistair and the group, except for Rovari. We really should have asked more about her ties to the Korretesh Flight, Alistair thought, mentally noting to follow up on it once they had a chance.