A Little Story

"Beyond the gate of meditation lay the golden staircase of Bloodline Refinement. By consuming magical potions, you could briefly experience meditation and glimpse the scenery beyond the door. But to truly climb that golden staircase depended on your own abilities."

Ferrum opened his eyes, Valyria's voice still echoing beside his ears.

"Could it be that I really am fated by destiny?"

He muttered to himself, his expression thoughtful.

Perhaps his soul and mind differed from those of other dragons; perhaps Consume Gold, Absorb Iron had helped him. Or perhaps he was simply exceptionally gifted. He felt that the golden road the Nurturer spoke of seemed...

Not quite so rugged and winding.

He could see the heavy metallic elements within his body, and he could see the savage nature churning through the ocean of his bloodline. After dozens, perhaps hundreds, of failures, he had just completed an entire meditation. It seemed he had truly gained some insight and sensed subtle changes.

Ferrum raised his claws before his eyes, curled them loosely, then spread them again, repeating the motion several times.

"Blood Frenzy."

He murmured the words, exerting strength throughout his body. Beneath his scales, his joints bulged and every line of muscle stood sharply defined.

Nothing happened.

Forget it. Ferrum was not discouraged. He rolled over, dug around inside his nest, pulled out some wild fruit, and tossed it into his mouth, savoring it slowly.

There were no snakeberries or Thunder Bamboo Shoots to eat in Ochre Valley during autumn, but there were still rose myrtles and Indian gooseberries, both exceedingly sweet wild fruits. They were usually difficult to find, and dragons lacked the patience to search for and gather them. But Ferrum was different.

He was now the youngest dragon lord, and the Little Stone Spirits were his army.

As the Chrome Dragons began stirring and rolling about, the Stone Sprites—each no larger than a mortal's fist—emerged one after another from the cracks in the surrounding rocks.

They brought their lord fresh food gathered from the crevices: clusters of red mushrooms and shriveled fungi. Then, clacking as they joined together, they rubbed sticks in a corner and actually started a fire.

Ferrum ate some red mushrooms raw, then tossed the rest into a stone bowl to boil. It was a pity there was no salt or seasoning; otherwise, it could have counted as a fine dish.

The siege led by Jelierion some time ago could only be described as a disastrous defeat. After that battle, the Iron Dragons were all badly wounded and forced into hibernation, while the remaining Dragon Hatchlings were thoroughly intimidated and no longer dared challenge the edge of the Archaic Species.

Yet the days of the Feeding-Seizure Period still had to go on, and the Dragon Hatchlings each had their own way of surviving. The Cobalt Dragons slept together, intending to endure the month by sheer force of will, while the Chrome Dragons occupied different areas throughout Ochre Valley and relied on hunting the beasts of the valley to fill their bellies.

As for the Tungsten Dragons, Nickel Dragons, and Lesser Dragons...

Ladon was not, in the end, some savage beast guarding treasure. He had looked forward to the dragons' siege, but when no dragon came to challenge him, he instead found himself listless. So when the sun set and Ladon had eaten most of the bloody food, he would return to his nest to sleep.

At that time, the Lower Species would gather around and fight over the scraps of bloody food Ladon had left behind.

That was more or less the ecology of the first month.

Ferrum did not wish to fight the Lower Species for leftovers, but the living creatures in the valley were rapidly dwindling. He trained intensely every day and therefore ate a great deal. Wild beasts, fruit, and fungi alone could not possibly meet his daily needs.

As he ate red mushrooms, Ferrum found himself longing for the delicious meat of a Kodo Beast. He was considering how to seize food from Ladon's jaws.

Whether Archaic Species or Super Species, if they were truly starving, they would snatch a few chunks of meat even if the Nurturer stood guard.

At that moment, he heard the sound of beating wings. Shaking his head, he walked out of his nest and saw a Feather Dragon land and come to a stop ahead of him.

He knew that Feather Dragon. Her name was Afterglow, and she was outstanding among the Lesser Dragons. She had even obtained the qualification for meditation. They had met many times before.

Afterglow looked at Ferrum, seeming somewhat hesitant.

After a moment of silence, the Feather Dragon finally spoke, her voice clear. "Do... do you have anything to eat?"

Ferrum became wary and shook his head. "We do not have food either."

Recently, all the Dragon Hatchlings in the valley had begun worrying about food. Everyone knew Ferrum was fast enough to catch anything he saw, but even if he had some to spare, he would have to consider his own companions first. There was no way he would share food with other dragons.

Besides, he was having trouble feeding himself as it was.

"I mean, do you have anything to eat?"

The Feather Dragon repeated herself, then added, "If not, I have some."

Eh?

Ferrum's expression changed, and his eyes lit up. "What delicious food do you have?"

"Come with me." Afterglow turned around.

Ferrum followed without hesitation, as though the one who had just harbored hostility had not been him. They left the back slope of Eaglebeak Cliff, entered the range of Bay Lake, arrived at the Lesser Dragons' habitat, and then came before a mountain wall.

Afterglow beat her wings and flew up.

There was a hollow at the top of the mountain wall. Feather Dragons liked to nest on sheer cliffs, but the tallest precipices of Ochre Valley had basically all been claimed by the Chrome Dragons. She could only settle for the next best thing and choose this rock wall beside Bay Lake, where she could remain with the other Lesser Dragons.

Ferrum could not fly. He climbed partway up the nearly vertical rock wall before nimbly springing into the hollow. He did not make much noise, though compared to a Feather Dragon, he was like a goshawk beside a mountain cat.

The hollow formed a natural stone cave. It was not high up, but it was level, and the view was fairly open.

But the instant Ferrum entered the cave, he smelled an overpowering fishy, musky stench.

Chrome Dragons possessed exceptionally keen senses and were not very tolerant of strange odors. Ferrum's expression shifted slightly. He had not expected the Feather Dragon's nest to smell so strongly, and he bared his fangs a little.

Afterglow seemed utterly unaware. She led Ferrum to one side, where the fishy stench grew even heavier. Ferrum turned his head and saw a large pile of wild game there.

Two or three Rust Rabbits and a Roe Deer—these were things Ferrum knew, once common in Ochre Valley—but there were also many things he had never seen before. All of them had long feathers and appeared to be birds of prey such as eagles and falcons.

"Rust Rabbits and Roe Deer—I saw that everyone liked them, so you can eat them."

Afterglow walked over and pawed through the food, sorting them one by one. "This is a pheasant. Its meat is very firm, but it is edible too. There are also Great Bustards here. These are the best. There is only one left."

"How did you get so much meat?"

Ferrum stepped forward a few paces. This time, he no longer found the smell unpleasant. His eyes shone as he looked around.

"Did you go hunting outside?" he asked. It was no secret that Feather Dragons could fly; everyone knew it.

"Do not tell the other dragons."

Afterglow reminded him softly. "I do not dare go out often either. If the Nurturer finds out, she will tie me up and beat me. So every time I go, I hunt more and pile it in my nest. It can last many days."

Ferrum nodded lightly to show he understood. Without hesitation, he went over and ate the Roe Deer and Rust Rabbits directly. Crunch, crunch—he chewed even the bones to pieces and swallowed them into his belly.

He truly had not been eating well lately. Now that he had a chance to improve his meals, he could not let it slip away.

Afterglow watched him chew without speaking. After waiting a while, she took a pheasant for herself and began eating it in small bites.

After she finished eating, she moved to one side, wiped her face clean with her wing feathers, and quietly groomed her scales and plumage in the corner.

Only after quite some time did Ferrum finish his meal. He had eaten all the Rust Rabbits and the Roe Deer, and he swayed his tail in satisfaction.

He watched Afterglow's movements, then noticed the Feather Dragon's nest-bed on the other side of the cave. It was built from branches and vines, clearly tended to often and very clean.

Ferrum found it somewhat strange.

He sniffed the scent within the nest again, then moved closer to Afterglow and gave her a quiet sniff.

The Feather Dragon was startled by his sudden movement and retreated several steps in a row. Her hanging plumes stood upright one by one, her claws clicked against each other, and she stared at Ferrum warily.

"So the smell did not come from the nest. You smell nice."

Ferrum returned to where he had been standing and said, "It is the food here. There is quite a lot, and it has been piled up for a little too long. I will freeze it for you."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and exhaled, breathing out the frigid current of a Chrome Dragon and freezing the pheasants and Great Bustards one by one.

"This can preserve them for a while, but you should still eat them as soon as possible. Otherwise, if they sit too long, they will smell truly awful—far too fishy and musky."

Ferrum spoke with complete seriousness.

Afterglow froze for a moment, her feathers seeming to burst into flames all at once. "Do these smell that bad? I thought it was merely the ordinary scent of food."

"Perhaps Chrome Dragons are more sensitive. Do not mind it."

Ferrum smiled. "Your food was very good. When there is another chance, I will invite you instead."

With that, he sprang away in a single leap and left the Feather Dragon's nest.