Chromie's head was buzzing, as if someone had stuffed a swarm of angry wasps into her ears. She struggled to open her eyes and the first thing she saw was a thick iron fence—she was in a cage, her hands were tied behind her back, and her mouth was stuffed with some kind of hard, strange-smelling lump.
"Ugh!" she tried to protest, but only managed a muffled sound.
"Awake?" a hoarse voice came from below.
Chromie managed to turn his neck and peek through the gap at the bottom of the cage at the scene below: Kalecgos was chained to the ground, unable to move, and was fearfully avoiding the approach of a huge Kodo Beast. The beast was panting heavily, its eyes gleaming with an abnormal light.
Memories flooded back. Just minutes ago, she stood proudly at the cave entrance, the Bronze Dragon's Time Magic rendering the orc Warrior motionless like fools; minutes later, she was bound here like a fish caught in a trap.
What happened in between? Chromie tried to recall, but the dizziness in her head made her memories fragmented.
"Don't bother, little guy." The hoarse voice rang out again. Only then did Chromie notice another iron cage hanging next to the main cage, containing a Red Dragon —or rather, a creature that had once been Red Dragon. Its scales had lost their luster, its eyes were cloudy and lifeless, and suspicious foam hung from the corner of its mouth.
"They've given you Dragon Sickness Potion," the Red Dragon —if it could still be called a dragon—murmured. "The effects will last a long time."
Chromie's heart sank. Dragon Sickness Potion, one of the most insidious inventions of the Dragonmaw Clan, was specifically designed to weaken the will and power of dragons. She twisted her body, and sure enough, she couldn't sense any flow of magic.
From the cave below, Kalecgos let out a terrified scream, "Get away! Don't touch me!" The Kodo Beast was licking his face with its rough tongue.
Chromie closed her eyes. This was absolutely terrible.
Let's rewind to half an hour earlier --
A golden teleportation beam flashed across the Barrens wasteland, and Chromie appeared in a thicket of bushes.
"According to the Timeline, they're in that cave." Chromie looked at the cave entrance on the mountain wall not far away, where two orc guards were yawning boredly.
"I need to hurry!" Her small figure dashed out.
The guard orcs spotted the running Gnome and were about to sound the alarm when Chromie waved her hands—
Time seemed to freeze around the orcs. Their movements as they raised their weapons became incredibly slow, like moving through syrup. Chromie ran past them effortlessly, even having the leisure to pat one of the orcs on the stomach.
" The Bronze Dragon is here!" she cheered as she rushed into the cave, her voice echoing through the passage. Time Magic should be enough to deal with these brute-force-only, clumsy enemies.
She imagined the rescue would be as easy and enjoyable as visiting an amusement park. Kalecgos would weep and thank her for saving his life, then obediently return to the Nexus. That way, she could continue her leisurely, carefree life.
The sight inside the cave enraged her— Kalecgos was chained in the center of the cave, surrounded by several Dragonmaw Orc.
Even more terrifying, a Kodo Beast that had clearly been drugged was being led toward the poor Blue Dragon.
"Let him go!" Chromie's voice became sharp with anger. She instinctively shouted, with the majesty and pride of Dragon.
The orcs were clearly caught off guard by the intruders and were momentarily stunned. Chromie seized the opportunity to activate her ability—the orc Warrior closest to her watched in horror as his axe slipped from his hand like quicksand; another orc ran desperately, but to no avail, only managing to stay in place and not move an inch forward.
"I am Chronormu, the Keeper of Time!" she proclaimed, stepping forward, "You scum dare to kidnap a Dragon!"
Kalecgos looked up, his eyes gleaming with hope. " Chronormu! Save me! They want me with that... that..."
"I know," Chromie interrupted him, continuing forward, "Don't worry, I—"
The Bronze Dragon felt victory was assured; the orcs were nothing special. She decided to issue a victory declaration, showcasing the great moment when good triumphed over evil.
As she spoke, she pressed forward towards the group of orcs.
Just then, a shadow fell from the cave ceiling. Chromie only had time to see a human hand toss a small bottle toward her, and then—
The world spun around her. Her last thought was that she would never waste words with her enemies again; she would simply use a Temporal Flow to sweep them away.
Chromie writhed in agony in the cage. Memories flooded back, each detail fueling her regret.
"I'm such an idiot," she cursed herself inwardly. "Like all third-rate heroes, I had to make a declaration before victory, only to let the enemy turn the tables and kill me."
The Twilight Cultists who jumped from the cave ceiling must have been waiting for her. The Dragon Sickness Potion was a special potion developed specifically for dragons, and even Bronze Dragon couldn't resist it. She remembered falling like a puppet with its strings cut, and the orcs swarming around her, binding her like a dumpling with specially made dragon chains.
The most humiliating thing was the gag they put on her—that's what they said was to prevent dragon breath and speaking.
Chromie felt a burning sensation on her face; it was even more humiliating than being locked in a cage.
"New little guy," the Red Dragon in the next cage murmured, "You look much more energetic than when I came."
Chromie looked at the pitiful Red Dragon. Its eyes—or perhaps hers?—had lost all light of intelligence, leaving only a beastly chaos.
"Who are you?" Chromie managed to utter a muffled sound through the gag.
"Who am I?" The Red Dragon tilted her head, as if pondering a profound question. "I am... Red Dragon? No. I am an egg? No!" She suddenly became agitated, " Queen! Where is the Queen!"
Chromie's heart sank. This Red Dragon was clearly completely insane, but even more terrifying was her mention of the " Queen." Alexstrasza, the Red Dragon Queen, had also been captured by the Dragonmaw Clan and forced...
She slowly recalled the old Shaman's words as she collapsed to the ground, "Oh, not bad. You actually caught a rare Bronze Dragon. And a female at that. You can offer it to that lord. It will surely win you more friendships."
A terrible thought struck Chromie. The orcs had just said they were waiting for a "big shot" to come and enjoy her. Did they capture her not just for breeding, but also for some big shot? She suddenly understood why dragons had become increasingly fond of staying at home in recent years, unwilling to go out. The outside world was simply becoming more and more dangerous for them.
From below came Kalecgos's desperate sobs. Chromie looked down and saw that the Blue Dragon seemed to have given up, slumped on the ground, letting the Kodo Beast approach. The Orc Shaman was chanting incantations beside him, shaking some kind of potion in his hand.
Second update. That's all for today! Tomorrow's the weekend, so there will be a third update as usual. Please vote and subscribe!