Half-Year Deadline

The afternoon sun hung lazily overhead, baking a dry scent of grass and wood from the drying shed, mixed with the pungent fragrance of tobacco leaves that drifted into the nostrils in wave after wave.

Moqi lay sprawled in the open space outside the drying shed, idly swishing his tail. It traced unconscious, crooked patterns through the mud.

The sounds of playing and roughhousing drifted from afar, faint and hazy, as though carried over from the direction of Eaglebeak Cliff.

Moqi's ears twitched. He immediately got to his feet, craning his neck to peer in that direction.

He saw nothing.

He withdrew his gaze, rolled over on the ground, stared at the sky for a while on his back, then flipped over to lie on his belly again. He plucked a handful of wild grass beside him and kneaded it between his claws. His heart felt as though a cat were scratching at it, leaving his whole body restless and uncomfortable.

"This is awful."

Moqi scratched his chest twice and let out a heavy sigh.

Back then, driven by greed and curiosity, he had cautiously snatched several bundles of tobacco leaves from the Gray Dwarves' drying shed. He had thought no one would know, but Nurturer discovered him almost immediately, tied him to a rock wall, and beat him while he hung there.

The beating would have been one thing, but then Nurturer gave an order: whenever the Gray Dwarves went down into the mines, Moqi had to guard the drying shed. If any more tobacco leaves went missing, every last bit of it would be charged to his account.

Moqi was utterly unwilling, yet he did not dare defy Nurturer's orders. He could only stay near the drying shed every day.

And just like that, more than half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

At first, those detestable Dragon Hatchlings had learned of it and often came here to mock him. Quite a few had also tried sneaking about and causing trouble by stealing the tobacco leaves, leaving Moqi run ragged. But as time passed, everyone grew used to it and gradually could not be bothered to come anymore. At last, his days became peaceful.

He did not actually find staying here especially shameful, nor did he bear a grudge against those troublemakers. But guarding the place day after day truly wore away at a dragon's patience. It was unbearably dull, leaving Moqi irritated and miserable every day.

He still wanted to roam and play all over the mountains like before. More than anything, he wanted to take part in the Racing Competition.

Ever since Xilong had withdrawn from the races, the old situation where one family dominated without any suspense had vanished. Eaglebeak Cliff had instead become livelier, the competition fiercer, and the races more and more interesting.

The Dragon Hatchlings nearing a year old had begun to display their individual talents. Relying on the Chrome Dragon's unique precision and agility, Moqi gradually began taking the lead in races and had even claimed first place several times. That sense of achievement only made the fire in his heart burn hotter.

Later, the young dragons of Eaglebeak Cliff gathered together and copied the Iron Dragons' method of ranking combat strength, creating a Racing Competition ranking list of their own.

Moqi knew perfectly well that the combat rankings in Ochre Valley would never have a place for him. But the Racing Competition rankings? He had every chance to fight for a spot. If he could take first place ten times, he could carve his name into the great stone slab at Eaglebeak Cliff's starting line. Just thinking about it felt mighty impressive.

If he succeeded, he could invite Xilong out for a challenge afterward.

Xilong had not competed for half a year. Though he was the legend of Eaglebeak Cliff, he was bound to have grown rusty. When the time came, they would race neck and neck, evenly matched, and then Moqi would rely on his astonishing understanding of the mountain paths to seize victory by a difference of milliseconds... Ha, haha.

Thinking of that, Moqi could not help growing smug.

Speaking of Xilong, they both bore the surname Solaxus and shared identical blood. Yet Xilong's talent was clearly greater. From the moment he broke out of his shell, he had shown obvious signs of being different from the rest. Not only were his claws and fangs sharper and his growth faster, but he was also exceptionally clever and diligent, training without pause every day. Recently, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. He could hang from a cliff using only one claw, leaving Moqi staring in dumbfounded amazement.

Yet over the past half year, Xilong seemed especially busy. Every time Moqi went to find him to play, Xilong would say he had no time, or that he wanted to rest.

With no playmate left, Moqi was naturally unhappy. Whenever he had the chance, he followed behind Xilong to see what exactly he was doing.

He discovered that Xilong not only went rock climbing every day, but also ran to Bay Lake, where he swam and dove through the water, beating the currents with his membrane wings. Then he went to Ironwood Forest to tread along ropes, swaying as he walked atop them.

Good heavens, not to mention trying it himself—merely watching made Moqi's eyes feel dry and his entire body exhausted.

Speaking of walking ropes in Ironwood Forest, there had been another little incident.

That rope had originally been nothing more than a pulley line the dwarves used to transport supplies quickly. Moqi and Xilong had discovered it together half a year ago. Xilong had carefully stepped onto it to test it, saying it seemed sturdy enough to bear a Dragon Hatchling's weight, and had planned to add it to his training regimen.

But when Xilong truly stepped onto it, he had only struggled a few times on the line to maintain his balance before it snapped at once. The wooden stakes at both ends and the narrow bridge collapsed along with it, crumbling like a landslide and shattered tiles as everything plunged into the stream below.

Disaster had struck.

When Nurturer learned that the bridge had been destroyed, Xilong naturally received a vicious beating. Moqi, standing nearby, was also scolded so thoroughly that he did not dare make a sound.

But when they went back to look a few days later, they found that the Gray Dwarves had already repaired the stakes. They had driven Ironleaf Wood trunks, so thick that two people would need to embrace them together, deep into the earth. The thin, fragile hemp rope had also been replaced with glossy sinew cable.

It was military material used to make ballistae and trebuchets, exceptionally tough. Unless someone deliberately cut it with a sharp blade, it would be nearly impossible to damage.

Because Dragon Hatchlings were everywhere in the valley, metal objects were generally stored away properly. Though sinew cable was not iron chain, it was far more precious than iron chain.

From then on, Xilong's life became ever more disciplined. His strength visibly grew greater, and so did his body.

Now, whenever Moqi went out, the Dragon Hatchlings did not call him by name. Instead, they called him Xilong's brother, while some simply called him Xilong's little brother.

In truth, Moqi had broken out of his shell even earlier than Xilong. But now, when the two stood together, no one would ever say that Moqi—with his dull gray scales and body a size smaller—was the elder brother. What was more, they would probably seriously question whether the two even shared blood.

Having a brother like that was truly...

Wonderful!

He did not feel the slightest jealousy. Instead, he felt delighted, hoping Xilong would become stronger and stronger—strong enough to slap Hidorivi or Jelierion flat with one paw, then go challenge that monster whose bloodline was absurdly powerful.

If Xilong succeeded, Moqi would be able to hold his head high and puff out his chest as he walked past those Iron Dragons. From then on, whenever he encountered them, he would look at them from the corner of his eye!

It was just that recently, a Thunderclap Dragon had somehow kept following Xilong around. Whatever Xilong did, the Thunderclap Dragon did as well, as though the creature wanted to steal his brother away. Thinking of this made Moqi somewhat unhappy again.

Time passed bit by bit, and the angle of the light gradually changed. The thatched roof of the drying shed cast long shadows, slanting across the red earth. Footsteps and voices began drifting from the mine pits as the Gray Dwarves finished work and came down the mountain paths in twos and threes.

Moqi immediately stopped his wild thoughts. He looked up at the sky and judged that there was still some time before dinner. He could go play a few rounds of the Racing Competition.

Before he had even finished thinking it through, he was already on his feet. After stretching his limbs, he headed eagerly toward Eaglebeak Cliff, his tail swishing joyfully.

Just as he was about to head up the mountain, the road ahead was suddenly blocked.

Leijieduolei stood there, membrane wings slightly spread, scales gleaming with a dark iron hue in the evening light. His gaze descended from above and landed on Moqi.

He was unhurried, as though he had already been waiting for a long time.

"Finished Nurturer's work?" Leijieduolei asked.

"Of course." Moqi stopped. "What do you want?"

"Good. So you have."

Leijieduolei flexed his neck. "I remember every word you said when you mocked me. Now I'm standing before you, and you're asking what I want."

Moqi's heart skipped a beat. He glanced around on both sides, but found no help. "I don't want to fight," he said.

"But I do."

Leijieduolei took a step forward. "Don't say I'm bullying you again. One on one—if I don't beat you until you can't crawl today, I'll give you the Ember Scar surname."

"Who wants your surname? If you want a fight, go find—"

Before Moqi could finish, Leijieduolei moved.

The Iron Dragon's massive body barreled forward like a tipping boulder. Moqi twisted aside to dodge, but failed to escape and was knocked completely to the ground by Leijieduolei.

Before he could fully rise, he heard a gale howling behind him. Knowing the Iron Dragon's pursuit had already arrived, he did not hesitate. As he turned his head and twisted his body, he swung a claw directly backward.

Moqi's reaction was undoubtedly correct, but his strength was too weak. His claw strike landed on Leijieduolei and tore off only a few scales, unable to shake the Iron Dragon's body at all.

Leijieduolei seized Moqi by both shoulder blades, his grip clamping down like two iron pincers, and lifted the Chrome Dragon straight into the air.

Moqi hurriedly kicked wildly with his hind legs, only to realize that because of the enormous difference in their sizes, he could not even reach Leijieduolei.

The Chrome Dragon's agility was useless beneath a frontal suppression. Leijieduolei roared, slammed Moqi hard onto the ground, and followed it with savage trampling.

Pain wracked Moqi's entire body, yet he could not escape. He could only cover his head, curl into a ball, and take the beating, cursing Leijieduolei and all his brothers from the bottom of his heart.

A black-and-yellow figure lunged in from the side.

The Thunderclap Dragon came in at a vicious angle, cutting in from Leijieduolei's rear flank. Its speed was unexpectedly swift. It skimmed low across the ground, and the instant it closed in, the yellow patterns along its back suddenly lit up. Fine arcs of electricity flashed past as it slammed solidly into Leijieduolei's ribs.

Leijieduolei staggered half a step sideways from the impact, released Moqi, and turned around.

"A Lesser Dragon?"

Leijieduolei stared at the suddenly appearing Thunderclap Dragon and blew two streams of white vapor from his nostrils. "Looks like I've been mocked for too long. Even a Lesser Dragon mongrel dares bare its fangs at me."

"I said I'd fight back someday."

The Thunderclap Dragon did not even look at Moqi on the ground. It stared only at Leijieduolei's face, lowering its body into an attacking stance as the patterns on its back glimmered faintly.

"I remember you now, Lesser Dragon."

Leijieduolei bared his fangs and growled. "But even if the two of you come at me together, you still won't be enough."

Three clashes followed in quick succession.

The Thunderclap Dragon was not slow and possessed some skill, but its strength was still insufficient. It could not inflict any effective damage on the Iron Dragon.

When it tried to attack for the fourth time, Leijieduolei had already read its movements. He let it strike his back, then turned sideways and lifted a hind claw, kicking the Thunderclap Dragon straight into the nearby mire.

The Thunderclap Dragon lay on the ground, struggling to rise, but Leijieduolei's great jaws snapped down close behind it.

The Iron Dragon was immensely powerful. He actually bit down on the Thunderclap Dragon's back and lifted it entirely off the ground, then violently shook his head and smashed it against rocks and trees.

The Thunderclap Dragon did not make a sound. It only did everything it could to claw at the Iron Dragon's neck. Not until it was covered in wounds and bleeding without stop did Leijieduolei release his fangs, fling it onto the ground, and spit out the broken scales and flesh in his mouth.

If he had truly been ruthless just now, he could have bitten straight through the Thunderclap Dragon's spine. But that was strictly forbidden by the leader.

Iron Dragons were not like Evil Dragons, unable to restrain their savage natures. As far as Leijieduolei was concerned, this was already enough.

"One mongrel, one idiot. You two belong together."

Leijieduolei looked down at Moqi and said viciously, "Go find that brother of yours. Tell him the half-year deadline is up. I've had enough. Tell him to come to the Iron Dragons' abandoned mine and reclaim the title of disgrace to dragonkind."

With that, he turned and left without looking back.

"Hey."

Only after a moment of silence did Moqi sit up, clutching his head. He moved his aching limbs and felt pain everywhere in his body. Looking at the Thunderclap Dragon lying in the mud, he said, "Where did you come from...?"

The Thunderclap Dragon lay there, panting for a long time.

It was hurt far worse than Moqi, yet it did not remain where it was or speak to him. Once it had recovered a little strength, it rose again, staggered away, and left on its own.