Plan

Ferrum leaped down from the mountainside. After only a few steps, he spotted another Chrome Dragon by the lakeshore.

Moqi was lying on a rock, basking in the sun with his belly exposed, utterly motionless. He looked just like a dead crocodile, save for his tail swaying faintly.

Ferrum walked over and glanced at him twice. "What are you doing here?"

Still groggy, Moqi scrambled up at the sound and asked, "What happened?"

"What?"

"I'd just come back from fishing in Bay Lake when I saw you following a Feather Dragon into the Lesser Dragons' habitat. The Heavy-Metal Dragons are all ashamed to keep company with Lesser Dragons these days. I know you don't care about that, but I was worried that if you got into a conflict with the Lesser Dragons and they surrounded you, you wouldn't be able to find any help. So I waited here."

After saying that, Moqi asked again, "What happened?"

"So that was it."

Ferrum nodded slowly. "Nothing much. The Feather Dragon just came to talk to me. She said she admired me and wanted to build a nest with me."

Moqi was completely at a loss. "What?"

"Let's go back first."

After filling his belly, Ferrum's mood had clearly improved. He made a neither-here-nor-there joke without explaining it, then swayed his tail as he headed back.

"I know that Feather Dragon is pretty, but Ferrum, you can't trust her. The Dragon Legacy warns that the prettier a female dragon is, the more dangerous she is. Look at those Purple Dragons and Green Dragons—not one of them is a good sort."

Moqi followed behind, reminding him, "Mortals say that we Chrome Dragons are the most evil of the Heavy-Metal Dragons, but from hatching to falling from the sky, all the intelligent creatures Chrome Dragons kill put together might not equal what Purple Dragons kill in a single year."

"What about Silver Dragons?" Ferrum asked casually.

"Silver Dragons? Silver Dragons are quite nice."

Moqi answered instinctively, then shook his head. "Anyway, don't let yourself be fooled. I heard In Tas mention before that this Feather Dragon is the strongest among the Lesser Dragons. She looks quiet and peaceful, but she's a bird of prey. Once she truly reaches adulthood, she'll definitely be extremely vicious. Maybe she eats people."

"So dangerous."

Ferrum thought for a moment. "Then I need her even more."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Moqi pulled a long face. "If you go off with a female dragon, there won't be a playmate to take me along anymore."

"Nonsense."

Ferrum lifted his head toward the front. "Isn't that your playmate?"

As usual, In Tas stood waiting at their agreed gathering place. He had no idea what had happened between the two brothers. All he saw was one large and one small Chrome Dragon approaching from afar, the smaller one bouncing around the larger one, chattering away without pause.

"How did things go today?"

Ferrum put away his joking expression and looked at In Tas. "Is there still prey to catch around the outskirts of the valley?"

"I circled the entire valley twice today, but now it's no longer a matter of hunting skill or hunting difficulty. There are almost no living creatures left in Ochre Valley."

In Tas lowered his voice. "Over the course of an entire day, I saw only one wild boar, and another Lesser Dragon beat me to it. I didn't go up to fight for it, but they started arguing among themselves and fought on the outskirts. Later, a Tungsten Dragon joined in. They were all fighting over one wild boar. That had never happened before."

"The situation in Bay Lake and the streams is the same."

Moqi also turned serious as he reported, "We can't see our favorite Tropical Giant Crucian Carp anymore. There are only little fish and shrimp left. Once the Nurturer changed the rules, never mind what happens to the Dragon Hatchlings—the living creatures in Ochre Valley will be the first to go extinct. By then, even if we return to the Food-Sharing Period, there won't be anything fun left in the valley."

As he said this, Moqi could not help feeling dejected. There were not many things to do in the valley. Catching fish, crabs, and chasing Rust Rabbits had been among his few pleasures.

"There are still half a month left in the Feeding-Seizure Period. It is already impossible to keep ourselves going by relying on hunting wild animals. Besides, we train heavily every day, and Ferrum bears the logging task assigned by the Nurturer. We cannot remain silent like the Cobalt Dragons."

In Tas said, "When all is said and done, if we want food, we still have to start with the gathering place."

"The gathering place... The Nickel Dragons fear Ferrum, and the Tungsten Dragons and Lesser Dragons respect him too. If we join the struggle after sunset, the other dragons will surely back down. But when I think of fighting over scraps like hyenas, eating what Ladon leaves behind, I find it hard to accept."

Moqi licked the scales on his foreclaw. "The pride of a Higher Species will not allow it."

"We won't eat scraps. We'll seize food directly from Ladon's hands, just as Ferrum did that time."

In Tas said.

"Seize food directly from Ladon?"

Moqi froze. "Even the Iron Dragons couldn't do that. Isn't that a little mad?"

"The Iron Dragons did not seize food from Ladon. They merely tried to challenge Ladon, and then failed."

Ferrum said, "But we are different. All we want is food. Ladon is powerful, so we will treat him as a Great Dragon—work together and snatch the food from his hands. When the Nurturer established this rule, perhaps she had already guessed how things would develop. Perhaps she wanted us to do exactly this from the beginning."

"Exactly."

Once Ferrum stated his position, In Tas's words became smoother as well. "The Kodo Beast meat the Kobolds slaughter every day is not just one or two pieces. With such a large target, Ladon cannot possibly watch over it all. When the time comes, we will split up. If one companion can draw his attention away, the other dragons can rush in and fight for it. As long as we can drag away the bloody meat, the operation counts as a success."

"Then I'll go."

Ferrum nodded lightly. "I'll draw Ladon away."

He was the leader of their little group. At a time like this, of course he would not shirk it. He should take on the most dangerous task.

"No, let me."

In Tas shook his head. "We cannot predict Ladon's actions. He may be drawn away, or he may not. He may turn back halfway. Our goal is not to toy with him. We only need to take enough food."

"So the role of seizing the food is the most important one. If we cannot take the food away, everything done beforehand will have been wasted. Ferrum is the fastest, and his strength is sufficient as well. If you seize the food, the chance of success will be greatest."

In Tas looked into Ferrum's eyes. "Leave the task of drawing Ladon away to me."

"You'll do it?"

Moqi was startled. "Aren't you afraid of that guy? Though I'm always saying I'll punch Ladon in the face, he is an Archaic Species, after all. His bloodline suppresses every Dragon Hatchling in Ochre Valley."

"Of course I'm afraid."

In Tas answered, then lowered his gaze. "But I'm even more afraid of being useless."

"Good."

Ferrum did not question the decision. Instead, he nodded solemnly. "Though Jelierion is arrogant, he still gathered the Iron Dragons to challenge Ladon. If we merely wait bitterly and do nothing, that would be far too weak. Whether we succeed in seizing food or not, we should try."

"As for how powerful an Archaic Species truly is, in the end, we can only know by experiencing it ourselves."