Shivvar, a big dracconid with muscular body and purplish maroon scales, stood tall before other dracconids. They were surrounding him in a semi circular formation with fangs and claws bared threateningly.

“What did you say?!” One of them snorted angrily. He was gripping at Shivvar’s horn. Horns which were big and curved downwards towards the maroon’s shoulders.

Those horns made Shivvar looked as if he had some sort of mane made of horn instead of fur.

“I said, ‘no, you should not’,” Shivvar answered steadily, his body didn’t even budge despite being threatened.

“What could an idiot dragon like you know, huh?”

“Not much,” Shivvar pushed aside the claw that was trying to grip his horn tighter. His hands and lower arm were covered by scales so thick that it made him looked like wearing some sort of steel gauntlets.

He raised his fist as high as his own chin. It was a rather challenging stance, but there were no hatred on his eyes. Only a rather foolish determination was shown as he spoke, “I might be a moron, but these fists will protect the weak as well as protect what is true and just.”

The dracconids bursted into mocking laughter. None of those budged the big dracconid. On the contrary, he continued his words, “Toying with the weak and armless is not what we should do. Even to humans. We are dragons. I might be foolish, but I still have my honor and dignity.”

“A dragon like you speak of honor? Dignity?!”

Vayyu could only slammed his visage into his own right palm while Misbegotten Vaardict could only sigh as the other dracconids were clearly angry.

Again, the maroon moron caused trouble for both of them. The funny part was that the blue and the blood red couldn’t just leave him alone. They won’t. Unless if someday they have to sacrifice him into the hottest volcano in order to save the world which at that time might face certain destruction due to Shivvar’s own imbecility.

Who wouldn’t?

***

“Disgusting!” Vayyu dove his entire head into the flowing river for the sake of cleansing water and saliva which was spouted by the dwarven one right on his face.

As he pulled his head from the stream, he roared in agony, “What had happened to the ‘manners’ of you misbegotten ‘dragons’ in these past twenty years?!”

“Explain what you meant by ‘kept by’! You think I am a pet, mistress, or something of sort?!” Vermillion barked without the slightest remorse for previously grotesque action.

However, it was enough to startle Vayyu. He realized the grave mistake he did, which were the wrong choice of words. Perhaps, for a sensitive female like Vermillion, the word ‘being kept by a human’ sounded like an insult instead of an honest question.

It was something worth to grief for, considering Vayyu was supposedly more advanced in terms of linguistics. Yet, he was the one who made such mistake. Perhaps, not talking for twenty five years had such bad effect on him. It was no wonder that his split-ended tongue felt so itchy.

“Fine,” Vayyu admitted his mistakes. “The correct question should be, ‘were you raised by humans?’”

“None of your concern,” Sarvati growled as she stood up and walked away.

Vayyu could only let out a long sigh before he redirected the dwarven one towards the correct direction, southwest. The short break they just took near the river rekindled the curiosity in the blue dracconid’s mind.

Other than her oversensitivity, Vermillion was rather unique if not weird. Not just about her physical appearance like her tiny body size or her scales which were far too smooth even for a female dragon. Her actions were also a strange sight to behold.

Instead of splashing her head into nearby stream or pool, or licking on morning dews, she drank from a freaking water pouch made from the skin of dessert rhinos. She also slept by curling up sideways. There are no dracconid that slept that way, most prefer to sleep on their belly. Though, Vayyu must admit that he himself was not exactly normal since he also slept while sitting cross-legged. But that was because he is concentrating in meditation. Until he fell asleep, of course.

Back to Vermillion’s issue, Vayyu was still wondering what was her connection with the humans. Perhaps, it was true that she had a human lover. Nevertheless, it really drew his curiosity despite being fully aware such thing might be not so polite. Other than that, the whole situation somehow reminded him about the words that were once said by his friend, Shivvar.

The gripping eerie feeling struck harder as they started to step into the forest part which was clearly plagued by some sort of disease. The magical kind of disease. There were no animal nor grass at that part. There were only trees that remained, the ones that had already shed their green crowns. The stench left at the plagued forest was not exactly the stench of dead, but there were barely any life left for Vayyu to feel.

Worse conditions greeted their senses as they finally met no trees, but only barren wasteland. There were few cliffs on the region, which was as barren. Vayyu never recalled that there was a land like this at the southwestern border of the empire. But then, he realized that he never stepped into this region before. Perhaps, this is how the natural condition was. Perhaps, it was not.

A thin overcast shadowed the darkened heavens in this place. Other than that, there was a certain heavy pressure emanating from every corner of the land. Therefore matters were definitely worse for someone with overly keen senses, like Vayyu. Thus, he was forced to lower the sensitivity of his senses. Being a dracconid with sealing arts definitely had its perks in a lot of situation.

However, there was clearly something even more strange that happened to the dwarven one. It was clear that she was struggling to breathe. Considering the condition, Vayyu realized that she might be weaker than him, especially in facing such condition.

However, Vermillion was that annoying Vaardict’s minion, she must had been through some hellish training and should have been much more durable. Indeed she was, Vayyu saw how, despite her rather tiny body, she was much stronger than most dracconid. Thus, it was rather unfathomable to the blue dracconid’s brain to comprehend that mere eerie pressure could’ve taken so much toll on her body.

Whatever. Vayyu could always seek out the answer later. While his feet continued to run, he took the liberty to gaze at the heavens. The clouds were unable to cover every single string of chaotic energy. Their energies, especially the thicker ones, was too bright and was easily caught by Vayyu’s magical vision.

The strings seemed to meet southwards from his current position. There were also some loud rumbling noises coming from the same direction, which in turn completed Vayyu’s analysis.

“I reckon we have to keep going there,” Vayyu pointed southward. “If you are exhausted, I suggest a low altitude flight instead of running.”

Vermillion sighed some embers, ”The higher you are, the stronger the wind. Thus, flying low is relatively more tiring than running. Basic knowledge.”

“My ‘apologies’ then, that’s not a common knowledge for filthy flightless dracconids.” Vayyu shrugged. “But at least, now I know.” It was really a new fact for Vayyu, he never realized such thing. Though, he still doubt how useful that fact would be for a dracconid like him. The funny part is that the dwarven one chuckled. Vayyu wasn’t sure where was the funny part, he was prepared for an erupting anger instead.

At least, it lightened up the situation. Considering how the gripping eerie feeling had become worse as they moved further southwards, a little laugh might be all that they need to brace themselves.

As the rumbling noises grew louder, Vayyu caught a glimpse of what the chaotic energies had provoked.