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When we touched down at the cave entrance and entered, two dragons were waiting for us at what I could only imagine was the living room equivalent of a dragon’s lair. The first dragon whom I recognized as Sgaer’khathz Vruul’draggashk, or more commonly known to me as Professor Sageira, was sitting there with the dragon’s equivalent of an extremely smug look.
The other dragon is waiting for us, a frost dragon of the same size as Professor Sageira, who I can only assume was Thryz’s mother, Vruulkthaz Skraeghrim. And she was not looking happy in the least.
Fortunately for me, most of the glairs Vruulkthaz are focused on Thryz. And after Thryz looked like he had been sufficiently cowed by his mother’s disapproving glare, her focus fell upon me. [So this is the mortal champion you have been talking about, Sgaer’khathz.]
Upon hearing myself being referred to, I performed a bow befitting a noble and introduced myself. [Greeting, Elder Vruulkthaz Skraeghrim, I, Luke Ironcrest, greet you.]
Thryz’s head snapped to me, [Mortal champion?! You said you were an Elder Wyrm!] he shouted at me in accusation.
I just chuckled and replied, [When have I ever said I was an Elder Wyrm? You made the assumption. I just did not correct you.]
Professor Sageira snorted at my comment while Thryz growled at being bamboozled, and Vruulkthaz growled at her son for being bamboozled.
Vruulkthaz went over to her son and smacked him on the top of his head, [Does he smell like a wyrm to you?] she growled at Thryz while shaking him by one of his horns. [Polymorph spells can only change forms, not their smell. Is that nose attached to your face there for decoration?!]
[But mother, he spoke in our tongue and even used dragon tongue magic, how is that possible if he is not a wyrm?] Thryz said as he struggled against his mother’s grasp.
[That is an excellent question, one that I am sure I will be getting answers to soon.] Vruulkthaz said as she glared at me and Professor Sageira. She then rounded on Thryz and shouted as she resumed shaking him by the horn, [That still does not excuse your performance! You were not even able to cast a spell right, and even when you managed to keep hold of the last word, your mana and will manipulation of it was terrible, no different from a wyrmling accidentally vomiting a breath attack. You are just lucky that the first mortal that could kick your huge scaly butt was friendly, or else you would have been killed and your parts paraded around as weapons and armor.]
It took a few seconds, but something kicked in Thryz’s mind. He shook off his mother’s grip on his horn and asked with a hurt expression, [Wait, so this was a setup?]
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This time, it was Professor Sageira who answered. [Yes, it was. This was to teach you an important lesson that we could ensure you would not pay with your life to learn. Weak as the majority of the mortal races may be, even the weak have their ways of bringing low the mighty. Every powerful nation beyond the borders of the Frozen North, and even a few local tribes, have their ways of dealing with powerful foes. Not even elder wyrms can attack them and get away unscathed.]
Thryz turned to look at his mother with a look like his frame of reference with which he looks at the world was cracking, [Mother, I thought we were the apex here in the North. There are barbarian tribes that can kill us?]
Vruulkthaz snorted as she looked at her son, and instead of shaking him by his horn, she stroked his head just like she did when Thryz was but a wyrmling. [Yes, son, they can kill us, but that is only in the same way if you were to purposely fly straight into a storm cloud or dive into an active volcano, or into a pit of meat-ripping beetles. It can kill you only if you are stupid enough to do it at your level of power. I guided you away from those places because you are not yet strong enough to face those dangers. That is why I wanted you to take your magic seriously. Your scales, claws, and fangs can only take you so far. After a certain point, like the fight you encountered recently, it is just not enough. And as you grow older and go out into the world to find your own lair, build your own hoard, and find your own mate, you will without doubt find many things that can and will kill you. Best you learn the sting of defeat now, then when you are bleeding out of the ground later.]
As Vruulkthaz was giving her son a heartwarming lecture on his safety and future, Professor Sageira signaled me to follow her by jerking her head.
She led me back to her guest room and spoke loud enough for her voice to fill the room, “Spot, your master has returned.”
From what I could only assume was a dragon-sized closet, a hippogriff chick’s head poked out, and when his eyes landed on me, he let out excited chirps as he ran toward me, slowed down and kept his head low when going past Professor Sageira, then sped up again to tackle me the moment he walked past her.
Silly boy, I guess it will take more time before he is used to her presence. Hopefully, it is not totally baked into his instincts to cower at the sight of every dragon he sees.
As my face is assaulted by hippogriff chick licks while I pet Spot’s fluffy head, I turn to Professor Sageira and ask, “So, what now?”
She just shrugs and says, “Now that the cat is out of the bag, Vruulkthaz cannot ignore that she has witnessed you using Dragon Tounge magic, and news of you will spread to other elders. I will convince her to help me call a meeting of elders and introduce you to them.”
“Should I be wary of any of them taking offense at me being able to perform magic exclusive to wyrms?” I ask.
“Naturally. Same with every society I have observed, wyrms are no different. There will always be puritans. They are dragons that barely tolerate the rest of the wyrms who are not dragons. Thankfully, they are in the vast minority and we ignore them for the most part, but that does not mean that they will not try something stupid. But in your case, after teaching Thryz his lesson at my behest, I think it should be fine. You have no idea how hard it is to find a safe option like you. Most wyrms trying to teach their children this lesson would usually point their children in the direction of a challenging target they think their child can handle and hope for the best, but sometimes things do not turn out the way they hoped.” she replied.
“Wow, trial by fire.” I commented.
“Indeed.” she replied.