Chapter 55: Audience |
The thin mist on the sea, like a damp and cold gauze curtain, silently enveloped the small boat paddled by the Frogmen.
Nolan tightened his thick fur cloak. Besides the chill emanating from the sea breeze, each monotonous 'splash' as the oars broke through the gray-white water's surface felt like a blow striking his tightly wound heartstrings.
The guardian mage Edwin stood close beside him, silent, merely gripping his staff, equally tense.
"This mist..."
Nolan muttered softly, his voice unnaturally clear in the silence before being quickly swallowed.
"A feature of the Star Mist Archipelago."
Edwin's voice carried a trace of barely perceptible tension as he uttered a statement everyone already knew.
At that very moment, a low, resonant hum suddenly emanated from deep within the dense fog, as if a great beast were sharpening its fangs in the distance.
Immediately after, a massive, indistinct black shadow tore through the air with a piercing shriek, passing overhead at an astonishing speed from an extremely high altitude!
It was a deep, dark color with a cold, hard texture, leaving only a flash of black.
"By the gods!"
Nolan's heart clenched violently, almost leaping from his throat. He instinctively gripped the side of the boat.
The oppressive feeling brought by that glimpse far exceeded any written description.
A dragon, absolutely a dragon!
This was not the only occurrence.
In the short span of the remaining journey, two or three more blurred shadows flashed across the sky at unbelievable speeds through the thin mist, heading in different directions. Some skimmed low over the sea, while others vanished into higher cloud layers.
Each time, it was accompanied by a heart-pounding sound of tearing air and a briefly churned vortex of fog.
Nolan felt as if he had stumbled into a lost dragon kingdom, where every wisp of mist might harbor a dormant ancient predator.
Finally, the hazy outline of White Pearl Island emerged from the fog.
On the dock, several kobold guards clad in heavy iron armor and holding long spears stood ramrod straight. Their eyes were sharp as hawks, vigilantly watching the approaching boat.
What shook Nolan to his core even more was a glimpse of a squad of equally well-equipped kobold warriors using rough ropes to escort a dozen dejected, stumbling figures deeper into the island.
Those figures were stocky, bearded, bearing obvious festering red welts and scorch marks—Dwarves!
The eyes of a few among them were hollow and numb, as if they had lost their souls.
"Dwarf prisoners..."
Nolan thought to himself.
The merchant's shrewd calculations spun rapidly amidst his fear. This confirmed his core conjecture and made him both more nervous and more expectant for the upcoming meeting.
Benedict gestured for them to disembark, then silently led the way ahead.
The path, paved with coarse rock, wound its way upward.
On both sides of the path, more lizardmen and Bullywug warriors could be seen patrolling, their gazes equally scrutinizing.
At the end of the path stood a stone fortress carved into the mountainside, its style extremely rugged.
It lacked the exquisite carvings of human castles, possessing only the oppressive feeling of massive, thick stones piled together, brimming with primitive and brutal strength.
The huge stone gate stood wide open, like the gaping maw of a great beast.
Upon entering the castle interior, the light abruptly dimmed.
Benedict stopped at the far end of the enormous hall, deeply bowing his head toward the front. A low gurgling sound issued from his throat, as if performing a salute.
Nolan and Edwin followed his gaze.
In the area where the light was most concentrated was a throne, crudely carved from a single massive piece of obsidian, shaped like a dragon's claw.
And the entity coiled upon it instantly seized all their attention, making their breath catch.
Deep emerald scales shimmered with a dark yet luxurious luster under the dim firelight, like the finest gemstones inlaid upon a massive frame.
The enormous body coiled there like a small mountain constructed of living jadeite and steel, radiating a sense of despair-inducing power.
The huge head was slightly lowered. Those enormous draconic eyes gazed down from on high at the tiny humans who had entered.
Deep within the pupils, there was no savagery, no urgency, only a cold scrutiny, as if examining two novel objects.
This was the Dragon Lord of the Star Mist Archipelago, the leader of the Cassius Flight, the master of the Bullywugs, lizardmen, and kobolds—
Xaer Cassium!
The massive dragon wings were folded against the broad back. Even at rest, one could sense the terror of their span, enough to blot out the sky when unfurled.
The entire stone hall felt particularly oppressive and silent due to his presence. Nolan could clearly hear the frantic pounding of his own heart within his chest.
Thump, thump!
Deafening.
Could it really be... a Green Dragon, one of the Chromatic Dragons notorious for cunning and cruelty?
Nolan felt his legs go weak, almost losing control and kneeling. But he restrained himself, took a deep breath, and spoke respectfully, "I am Nolan Royce, from the Royce family of Lonely Tower County in the Grand Duchy of Shao Yi, second son of Count Ryan Royce of Lonely Tower County. I pay my respects to Your Majesty, the honorable Dragon Lord."
Xaer's enormous nostrils flared slightly. A breath carrying a strange, sweet, fishy scent, almost tangible, swept through the entire hall.
A low voice, like rolling thunder, carrying indisputable authority, echoed resoundingly through the great stone hall: "Human merchant, I am not a Dragon Lord, but merely a Governor established by a dragon flight in the Star Mist Archipelago. I heard you wished to see me. State your business."
Governor?!
Nolan, with utmost reverence, retrieved a box from within his robes. Opening it, he revealed a dazzling sapphire resting inside, then spoke, "My apologies for the misspeak, Governor. I come representing the Shao Yi Chamber of Commerce, as well as certain friends behind me. We have brought something you currently need most."
Nolan's heart tightened. He took a deep breath, striving to straighten his back. "This sapphire is our gift to you... We apologize for our foolishness, mistakenly believing the Dragon Lord presiding over the Star Mist Archipelago would favor sapphires."
Green Dragons most adore emeralds and various green gemstones. Nolan had previously assumed a Blue Dragon ruled the Star Mist Archipelago, leading to a miscalculation in gift selection.
But it wasn't a major issue.
After a pause, Nolan mustered all the courage of his lifetime and met those fathomless emerald draconic eyes. "We are here to seek cooperation."
"For mutual benefit."
Nolan's voice gradually grew confident.
He was beginning to believe that before a greedy Green Dragon, profit was the best bargaining chip.
Even if this Green Dragon had other ideas, any treachery would have to wait until after the goods were delivered.
"Cooperation?"
Upon hearing this, Xaer on the throne couldn't help but let out a light chuckle. "I am not an unreasonable dragon. Trade with human merchant caravans can also benefit me and my subjects greatly. State your demands. If they are excessively harsh, then your two lives shall be used to quell my wrath."
"We have heard that your dragon flight is currently at war with the Dwarven Kingdom. We wonder if you have any need for intelligence regarding the Dwarven Kingdom? I, and the friends behind me, are willing to provide you with a complete territorial map of the Dwarven Kingdom, as well as a great weapon against the Dwarves—a type of large-scale alchemical golem used underground for excavating crude oil and minerals!"