“Gothen…”

        “Yes, Akkelas? Has your spirit communication tell us something?”

        The dark grey dragon paused for a moment, but he finally said, “Kaartas…joined them.”

        The biggest snow-colored dragon, named Gothen, sighed and roared slowly, knowing that one of them died. He then said, “He is the youngest and a fine dragon, more than any of our army. Such a shame that he must be killed, after sleeping for thousands of years. Tell, me, Akkelas. Did he tell you the slayer that killed him?”

        “It’s not a slayer. He said it’s a silver red dragon that cut his head with a sharpened fire wings. I never have seen a dragon move that fast and control elements like that.”

        “Did you say ‘silver red dragon’?”

        “Yes, Gothen, but he didn’t know the dragon’s name before his head was cut. Don’t you think he’s one of ‘them’?”

        “No doubt about it. Silver scales with red stripes…he’s the same race as Abridorn.”

        “You mean he’s one of the dragons that killed five of ours in a single fire breath?”

        Gothen nodded. “This is an interesting turn of event. Come on, Akkelas, Madsen. Change of plan.”

        The three of them opened their wings and flew away from where they were resting by a snow storm mountain. They flew to the west of the region, where they quickly lose the snow storm and into a milder weather.

        Mid-flight, Gothen started to talk.

        “Abridorn and me goes back a very long time, even before our hibernation. He, Grandos, and Ceroz are the only three dragons I ever remember by name. Ceroz was a traitor and a coward, but Abridorn and Grandos were noble adversaries. I never fought a dragon as powerful and prideful as Abridorn and I’ve never seen a dragon as noble as Grandos before. They are the only western dragons I have ever remembered fondly.”

        Gothen turned his head towards Akkelas. “You’re not there, Akkelas, but Abridorn was the only dragon that could best me in both elemental and close combat.”

        Akkelas gasped. “A dragon? On par with you?”

        “Grandos might be easier to kill, but he was still stronger than both you and Madsen combined. Abridorn was his best friend and companion, and what you heard was true. When the Northern dragons were attacking the west with some human dragon slayer group, Abridorn was the only one that could almost wipe all of us out, if not for his flaw.”

        “Flaw?”

        “This silver red dragon…did he have a handicap?”

        “Yes…he has no functioning wings, yet he could generate one out of the blue. He was struggling to keep himself together, though…. That, was what Kaartas said to me.”

        “Then it’s a price for a power they both sought. Abridorn was blind and I bet he would never remember me, but his devastating power has no limit. Grandos, while he lacked powerful abilities, was better with his tongue. He may be a young dragon that barely hit a hundred years old, but he is appealing to all the western dragons that backed him back then.”

        “Then…why are they not around anymore?”

        Gothen paused briefly, before continuing. “Because…both were betrayed.”

        “By those humans?”

        “Separately…including us. Abridorn was severely injured when he was walking into a trap, and Grandos was executed by a dragon slayer who promised a truce. Despite our differences, Abridorn was the one that warned me of the humans’ betrayals, saying that we are all banes of this world and too dangerous to be kept alive. I was too stubborn to leave him and I stayed there with him until he died. I hate to admit it, but in the end, he was the closest to me as a friend as to me as an enemy. I was resolved by that revelation, that this world is sick with human’s corruption, and it must be reformed into something the dragons are suitable in.”

        “Yet, you’re willing to help those who betrays you?” said Madsen. “Why can’t we just slaughter them all if they are traitors and cowards?”

        “There will be time for that, Madsen. I know you’re impatient and destroying that village was okay, but a war will not be won if you’re relying on brute force. Sometimes, being cunning is also a useful strategy.”

        “I know, but…”

        “Abridorn and Grandos taught me that. They’re a duo of brawn and brain, though not purely. Abridorn was still a genius in fights, while Grandos wasn’t all that weak, either. Their compassion to the humans are the one killing them. The plan may be a temporary alliance, but it’s purely a strategy we can exploit to our best.”

        By then, they can see a big encampment of humans, and Akkelas could sense the foul aura of their weapons. The Dragonsbane were waiting for some foolish dragons to attack them, but he could see that they were also scared of any dragons, as they were too aware and disorganized.

        “Akkelas, Madsen, let me do the talking. Change into humans.”

        The three of them quickly turn into humans wearing wanderer’s robe for the winter, where they proceeded to walk towards the anti-dragon camp. One of them saw them and pointed his spear and said, “Halt! What business do you have here?”

        “We have a business with your leader, Dragonsbane,” said Gothen calmly. “Tell him that we’re expecting a warm welcome, a camp, and some food.”

        The human somehow didn’t object and turned around without objection. Madsen then approached Gothen and said, “Why didn’t his head explode?”

        “Despite of your dark interest, we are in human form, so our powers are not as strong as dragons. Our body can’t stand our wild energy.”

        “I still prefer blood than brain.”

        “The time will come, Madsen. For now, just follow my lead.”

        After a while, the captain of the group came to the top of the tower and said, “Ho, jolly fellows! What is your business with me in the middle of a snow?”

        “Nothing jolly, my dear friend. Just a good warm place and a bottle of rum might do for now.”

        The captain didn’t question him, just turning around and shouted some things to his men. The next moment, the door opened for the three disguised dragons and they went in, where they were greeted by a sudden warmth beyond the gate. It was warm enough that they didn’t need to wear thick animal hide gloves. Gothen also noticed that the humans weren’t even bother wearing any coats, just some long sleeved outfits and some robes. Yet, despite of the warmth, the people in it acted as if they were still cold, but what Gothen could see was fear of dragons attacking them. The way they wielded their weapons were like anticipating a dragon to come close to them, where they would be ready to pierce them with the weapons.

        The captain, somehow still entranced by Gothen, noticed what the human-disguised dragon saw, and solemnly said, “This is just an outpost, my dear wanderer. The dragons are gaining more and more supporters, and many of us defected to them. What you see here are our finest warriors at the moment…and still, the dragons have more warriors than us.”

        “Warrior dragons? Is the dragons capable of doing things worse than plundering kingdoms and kidnapping princesses?”

        The captain smiled. “Ah, I see you haven’t seen a dragon up close in battle. That, as you say it is, is how most humans saw dragons thousands of years ago.” He then sighed. “I wish the world is still the same as it is during the older times, when the humans and the dragons are separate beings and noble knights come to princesses’ rescues, marry them, and have children. How the times have changed.”

        Gothen, despite of making a calm, collected face with a ‘sincere’ grin, was trying not to be awkward. Yes, during his time, the dragons were doing that, somewhat of a ‘tradition’ of dragonhood, but more apparent to Western dragons than Northern ones. He kept thinking on their reasons on capturing unattractive human princesses. Maybe it’s because of this that dragons are hunter until this moment.

        “So, which dragon that has given you such problem?”

        “We can talk in my tent. I don’t want to…unnerve my men by saying its name.”

        So Abridorn’s legacy lived on, thought Gothen. Since the captain was somehow still in the dragon’s influence, they could assume that he was telling the truth. Inside the biggest tent in the whole place, where it was greatly ornate and different from everything barren outside. There was a mage who was playing with a water basin in the middle of the room. The human captain instructed him something, where he quickly threw some powder and mumbled things, before an image was shown on the surface of the big water basin.

        As the three of them could see, there were images of dragons on the water basin, but something was wrong. The dragons shown were not very ‘original’; some of them even had different looking personalities and things the three of them couldn’t fathom, like their choice of elements and their abilities.

        “Explain to me about these dragons,” said Gothen, eager to find out.

        “The most dangerous of them all is Seraphor, the silver red dragon that was the cause of the downfall of our army. Nobody knows where he comes from or disappeared to, but one thing we are certain is how versatile this dragon can be. We cannot exploit his weakness. Currently, due to his actions to a dragon holding facility down south, he caused the Southern Region to join him, alongside their dragons and military capabilities.”

        The captain then continued. “The black female dragon is his mate, named Avila. Supposedly, her presence is so terrifying that because of it, our assault to a pro-dragon kingdom failed with major casualties. Seraphor may be a threat, but she’s the main cause why we don’t want to advance.”

        “And why is that?”

        “Nobody knows for sure, but for some reason, her presence brings death and fear. She doesn’t even need to do anything. Next, is this…Seraphor copy.”

        There was an image of a golden crested purple dragon that somehow came out from a children’s book, yet looked very menacing.

        “We don’t really have many information about this dragon, but we call him a copy for a reason. This dragon has the same capabilities of Seraphor, and they seem to be in good company with each other. Then…his mate, while not a threat, proved to be as dangerous when paired with Avila. These four are on our watch-list, and if they chose to lead an assault, we can say that our northern kingdoms alliance would fall in a day, with no survivors.”

        “Can I ask you why they are not attacking you yet?”

        “We don’t have anything as for now. All of our spies were either caught or defected to them."

        Gothen then asked the mage to return to Seraphor’s image. As he watched how the dragon managed to destroy a forest, he wondered if he was far more powerful than Abridorn was. But then, the lack of many other silver red dragons mean that he was either the last of them, or the rest went to sleep, just like the World Eaters did. Though considering their powers, they may had slept. Even Abridorn once boasted that he was the weakest dragon in their race, and that fact always made Gothen cringed, because he couldn’t even best that dragon in his lifetime.

        “Is there a…particular thing you want us to do?”

        Gothen went out of his reminiscing and turned toward the humans. Realizing that the losing side was once his ally, he got his idea of revenge that could benefit him and the anti-dragon alliance, and something that he could do to achieve the world where dragons rule as an apex race.

        “Yes, actually. I have something that I need finding so you can win this battle. You see, I am a travelling mage, but I studied under a prominent wizard who was known as a dragon slayer. He personally instructed me to open one of his last weapons so we could annihilate the dragons, but he didn’t want to, in fear of destroying the whole race. As devout as he is to quell the menace of dragons, he had no heart to kill them. Yet, I, too, don’t want to kill the dragons, just to…enslave them, or at least keeping them under control.”

        The captain and the mage weren’t replying immediately, but they immediately say, “A great idea, indeed, wanderer! Should I break this news to the king?”

        “Oh, please do, but make sure that I will be there, as the power of the magic was strong enough that you cannot control it. I will help him, whatever help I can give.”

        Because of the influences he gave, Gothen and his cohorts could stay in the camp for some warm food and drinks. They were even given a big tent adjacent to the captain’s. Before they retire for the night, the captain came to their tent and said that they will go to the king’s residence first time in the morning, and to bid them a nice good night. They were left alone for a private meeting.

        “Are you sure this is the right thing to do? What if your influence doesn’t control that human for longer than we thought?”

        “Relax, Akkelas. I still have backups if they cannot be useful anymore. Are you still able to use your abilities?”

        “Not in this body.”

        “Gothen…we can still find a way to defeat the western dragons and take over the western world without relying with lowly humans,” said Madsen. “I am not sure if the humans can be trusted.”

        “Yes, I know you’re bitter over their treatment to you back during that time, but Madsen, not everything can be solved by violence.”

        “I know that, but I’m not the thinking type. Still, I can understand the danger of attacking the dragons without proper strategy.”

        “Yes…the western dragons are quite intriguing. But then, Madsen, we may need your abilities aside from fighting. I know you love violence, but as I say, things aren’t meant to be solved by violence.”

        “I prefer you stop lecturing me. Let’s go to sleep already.”

        Despite of feeling like he was being commanded at, Gothen was wise not to make Madsen an enemy because he was not the dragon he wanted to mess around with. Akkelas also permitted himself to sleep at his bed, while Gothen woke up for a moment before laying down to rest.

        In his mind, though, he wondered about the fate of the young Ceroz’s son. While he was the one waking them up, he wasn’t Ceroz, but his mere presence was enough to make him think that the traitorous yellow dragon was there.

        But then, he didn’t mind, and went to sleep, while his thoughts raced of every kind of strategies and manipulations he could do to the weak-minded humans.