Garos spread his wings and spiraled upward through the air shrouded in night.
The currents above Conifer Valley carried sulfur's distinctively pungent stench.
He adjusted his altitude.
He let the shadow cast by his dragon wings sweep over the treetops without disturbing the creatures on the ground.
Garos lowered his gaze and looked down, seeing Dire Bears napping in the valley or scratching their backs against rough, hard mountain rocks.
Mobel, the newly appointed Dire Bear Chief, was currently among a pile of female bears.
Nuzzling heads, licking fur, and cultivating his relationships with them.
He saw Samantha sticking her rear up as she teased ants, playing childish, immature games.
Yet she was perfectly content entertaining herself alone.
He saw the Fairy Dragon Vera lying on a treetop branch, her wings and tail drooping as she slept while swaying precariously, as though she could fall at any moment. Yet she always stopped just short of falling, making one want to give her a push.
At this altitude, he could clearly observe every detail on the ground below.
Without exposing his whereabouts.
"Let's take a look at my neighbors."
After circling above the valley three times, Garos chose the northeast and began his reconnaissance.
Concealed by the night, he soared amid flowing winds and drifting clouds.
His enormous wings beat at an unhurried pace, controlling both his speed and the noise he made to avoid drawing attention.
His gaze remained fixed on the land below.
Mountains, wastelands, forests, lakes. Landscapes of every kind reflected in Garos's draconic eyes.
He silently observed, noticing many ferocious beasts and monsters hunting beneath the night sky.
The Ser Wilderness was a paradise for ferocious beasts and monsters.
By comparison.
There were fewer tribal clans formed by intelligent races, and survival here was harsh. Yet any