Dragonbirth Day (Part 2)

Amid the cheers, the hatchlings all leaned their heads toward the wooden cups before them.

The strong liquor burned like fire as it went down their throats, but the sharp bite flashed by in an instant, turning at once into a gentle warmth. Rich with fruity fragrance, it slowly spread through their throats.

"Delicious."

Xilong gave his verdict, his eyes sparkling.

No matter how potent the short-lived races' brews were, without alchemical ingredients they were ultimately just ordinary drinks. Once they fell into hatchlings' stomachs, they could not stir up even the faintest hint of drunkenness.

Yet that flavor, carrying the scent of civilization, was something the young dragons had never tasted before.

The Iron Dragons sampled only a little, sitting upright as their tails swayed gently. The Cobalt Dragons drained their cups in one gulp, then lay on their backs with their bellies exposed, leisurely savoring the lingering sweetness.

The Tungsten Dragons stretched out and hummed ancient ballads from the Dragon Legacy. Like bards singing softly, with no harps or bagpipes, they beat the ground and sang, their expressions peaceful and warm.

The Nickel Dragons gathered together, their injuries not yet healed. They whispered among themselves, chattering noisily, though no one knew what they were discussing.

"How lively." Xilong raised his cup and drank again.

The Lesser Dragons behind them were blocked by the shadowy Heavy-Metal Dragons, making them hard to see. He only noticed them guarding their cups tightly, taking a tiny sip, looking left and right, then taking another tiny sip, as if afraid the drink would sprout wings and fly away.

"Should we toast, Xilong?"

Moqi came over carrying his wooden barrel. "My memories say that when you're happy, you should clink cups with each other. That's when you're happiest."

Moqi was certainly greedy and fond of eating, but he was not happy merely because of the honey and wine. He was happy because Taigo had called them "honored members," because the feeder had addressed them as "everyone." Like all the young dragons, he felt as though he had been truly acknowledged.

"Cheers."

Xilong casually clinked his cup against Moqi's, a faintly thoughtful look appearing on his face.

The Second Ten-Thousandth Era in which he now lived was called the Age of Dragons and Titans. Dragons ruled the skies, Titans walked among the mountains, and Metallic Dragons, Heavy-Metal Dragons, Chromatic Dragons, and Exotic Dragons rose into the air in a riot of colors, dragons rising side by side.

A thousand years ago, the Supreme Dragon had not yet fallen. The Heavy-Metal Dragons were still a force of great importance across all realms, while Jialagedong occupied the highest divine throne. His gaze overlooked the sea of stars, and bloodfire that never ceased burned in his eyes.

Within an obsidian palace that pierced the clouds, the Supreme Dragon feasted all Heavy-Metal Dragons who came to pay homage.

Tens of thousands of giant dragons drank to their hearts' content and sang at the tops of their lungs, then roared as they departed the divine kingdom. Like meteors falling from the heavens into the myriad realms, they relied on power that brooked no equal to split mountains and rend earth, unstoppable in their advance.

The wine of a thousand years ago and the wine of this very moment had long ceased to taste the same.

A single knock, like steel ringing against steel, yanked every young dragon back from their thoughts.

The gathering place gradually fell quiet, layer by layer. The young dragons held their cups and looked up. The feeder was coiled in the firelight, having watched them silently for a long time.

"You have drunk the wine. Now you may taste the meat as well."

Jiazhuosa said, "Now let us speak freely. Since you have all grown up, I have a question for you to answer."

"Members of the Ashmark Lineage, tell me: who is the greatest enemy in your hearts?"

The hatchlings froze. They looked at one another, unable to understand the feeder's intent.

Jiazhuosa smiled casually. "Whoever answers well will be rewarded with a gold coin."

"Chromatic Dragons!"

"Exotic Dragons!"

Several voices immediately rang out. To Heavy-Metal Dragons, their greatest enemies were naturally these two kinds of Evil Dragons.

Back then, the Supreme Dragon had allied with the Evil Dragon Mother and agreed to join forces in killing the Platinum Dragon God. Yet amid the bloody battle, they were ambushed by the Three-Tailed Dragon Queen. Then the Evil Dragon Mother turned her spear around, and combined with the wounds the Platinum Dragon God had inflicted earlier, it ultimately led to Jialagedong's fall.

Whenever that war was mentioned, people always mocked Jialagedong for his arrogance and stupidity. The Evil Dragon Mother's ruthlessness and treachery were well known. Forming an alliance with Chromatic Dragons was like keeping venomous snakes at one's side while believing one could control them.

But the Supreme Dragon had never been a benevolent god. The Chrome Dragons, Cobalt Dragons, and Nickel Dragons under his command were likewise all Evil Dragons. They had long been filled with hostility toward Metallic Dragons for various reasons, and at the Evil Dragon Mother's slightest provocation, they were immediately lured in.

After the catastrophic defeat of the Dragon God War, countless Heavy-Metal Dragons were caught up in its aftermath, besieged, hunted, and purged. It was impossible for Heavy-Metal Dragons not to hate Chromatic Dragons and Exotic Dragons.

"Titans!"

"Metallic Dragons!"

Some hatchlings named them as well.

Titans had always been dragons' mortal enemies, so there was no need to say more.

Back then, the Heavy-Metal Dragons had taken the initiative in starting the war and ended up in their current plight entirely through their own destruction. Naturally, the Metallic Dragons would not lend them a hand. They had always watched coldly from the sidelines, which had also bred hatred in some Nickel Dragons.

By now, nearly every race hoped for the Heavy-Metal Dragons' extinction, wishing to seize the ecological niches they had once occupied and controlled.

Conversely, aside from their sole close friends, the Gem Dragons, the Heavy-Metal Dragons were wary of every other race as well.

The hatchlings spoke eagerly. Some answered seriously, some merely echoed what others had said, and several Lesser Dragons foolishly repeated after the Feather Dragons in front of them, drawing another round of low snickering from the Heavy-Metal Dragons.

Jiazhuosa swept them with a cold glance, and the laughter immediately subsided. She listened carefully as the hatchlings spoke. Whether it was a Nickel Dragon's vicious answer or a Lesser Dragon's timid reply, she listened seriously to the end, then calmly acknowledged it and nodded in approval.

The bonfire danced, and after quite some time, the gathering place slowly fell silent.

In pursuit of gold coins, the lively hatchlings had mostly all spoken. Only a few rather unusual ones remained. Some trusted too much in their own strength, some were overly cautious, and some were exceedingly indolent. Even now, they each remained seated where they were, restrained and silent.

"Kेलaili."

Jiazhuosa finally moved, calling him out directly as her gaze turned toward the middle of the grounds. "You needn't keep hiding off to the side. You've grown so large—who could fail to see you? You are the Cobalt-Blue Overlord of the Cobalt Dragons. Do you have anything to say?"

All the hatchlings followed the feeder's gaze.

The Cobalt Dragons had always had little presence in Ochre Valley. They almost never participated in activities. Racing Competition, tug-of-war, biting and fighting, hunting chases, playful frolicking—none of it interested them. Every day, they played by themselves in the Sunken Hollow, appearing in great numbers only at mealtimes.

Because they were numerous and belonged to a Higher Species, even Iron Dragons and Chrome Dragons would not provoke them lightly. Thus, the different groups knew little about one another.

Only now, upon looking carefully, did the hatchlings realize in shock that every one of these fellows was larger than a male lion. They lay there in great lumps, clustered around the largest one in the center like small mountains.

"Eh?"

Having inexplicably become the center of attention for all the dragons, Kelaili had no choice but to pull out the claws tucked beneath his body. "Lord Feeder, the greatest enemy in my heart..."

He paused for a moment, confirming the answer in his heart before saying, "Is the short-lived races."

"The short-lived races?"

"Everyone says Exotic Dragons and Chromatic Dragons are dangerous, but not every Exotic Dragon and Chromatic Dragon obeys the Three-Tailed Dragon Queen and the Evil Dragon Mother. Those creatures themselves enjoy attacking and killing one another, endlessly fighting among themselves, while continually being crusaded against by other righteous races. Their reputations are even fouler than ours."

"Other than the dragon gods and the apostles beside them, the rest of the Chromatic Dragons and Exotic Dragons are, when all is said and done, a heap of loose sand. There is nothing to fear."

Kेलaili spoke slowly. "But if you replace them with the short-lived races, the situation becomes completely different."