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The dragonkin stiffened as the dragon's might swept over them, halting in their actions. The Blue Dragon and Saga both looked up, gazing toward the source of the imposing aura.
In their field of vision was the returning Topaz Dragon.
And with it, another True Dragon, about seventeen meters in length, slightly larger than the Topaz Dragon.
This adult dragon was clad in brass-colored scales that shimmered with a metallic luster. Its wings were of an unusual radial rib structure, extending from the shoulders to the tip of the tail, with a wingspan much smaller than that of a normal True Dragon. Atop its head, instead of the traditional dragon horns, was a large grooved plate that melded seamlessly with the skull, covering the eye sockets, forehead, and cheeks. Sharp blade-like spikes jutted from its chin.
The dragon's appearance revealed it to be the ally that the Topaz Dragon had sought—the adult Brass Dragon.
The Brass Dragon was not a Gemstone Dragon.
It belonged to the Metal Dragon category, ranking third among its kind, with the well-known Golden Dragon and Silver Dragon occupying the first and second places, respectively. At the same age, a Brass Dragon was only weaker than its golden and silver counterparts.
Minutes later.
The Topaz Dragon and the Brass Dragon arrived together at Moon Bay, landing on the brightly lit First Quarter Island beneath the night sky.
At this moment, four dragons gathered on a secluded island, eyeing each other curiously and sizing one another up.
The Blue Dragon, a member of the Chromatic Dragons.
The Brass Dragon, a member of the Metal Dragons.
The Topaz Dragon, a member of the Gemstone Dragons.
And Saga, a hybrid dragon whose lineage was difficult to discern, freely jumping between the three dragon categories according to his own whims.
The Topaz Dragon flicked its tail, pointing it towards the Brass Dragon, and introduced to Saga, "This is Krynn, a rather talkative Brass Dragon, who I think is a bit of a chatterbox."
This Brass Dragon was female.
Krynn blinked her eyes, looking at Saga, whose body was covered in golden, diamond-like scales, and said:
"Hmm, I've heard about you from Matthias on the way here. He spoke highly of you, and now that I see you in person, it's indeed true. Your appearance alone is the most remarkable among all the dragons I've met."
"Matthias called you a Gold Diamond Dragon, an Outsider among the Gemstone Dragons. But, why do I detect a scent of Metal Dragon on you? And it's somewhat similar to that of a Golden Dragon. Could it be that you're not just a Gemstone Dragon Outsider, but also a hybrid Outsider of both Gemstone and Metal Dragons? Possessing the bloodlines of two True Dragons?"
"Oh, offspring of Golden and Gemstone Dragons—I've only encountered two in my hundred years of life, but both only inherited the bloodline of one parent without any mutations. Your case is truly rare."
She spoke rapidly, as if her words were unstoppable, her enthusiasm for conversation incredibly high.
Listening to her rapid-fire speech, Saga couldn't help but recall the records and descriptions of Brass Dragons in the dragon heritage.
This breed of True Dragon preferred conversation over combat.
In battle, Brass Dragons would incessantly try to engage their enemies in conversation, and to ensure a response, they would even learn specific Spells to prevent their targets from blocking out their voices, making it nearly impossible for their foes to concentrate.
It was hard to say whether this was mere chattiness or a battle tactic.
But if not an enemy—
If a Sapient Being happened to encounter a Brass Dragon in the wild and intended to leave without engaging in conversation, the Brass Dragon, infuriated, would render them unconscious. Upon awakening, they would likely find themselves buried in the ground with only their head exposed, forced to listen to the Brass Dragon's endless chatter until it was satisfied before being allowed to leave.
Within the dragon community, this was considered a collective psychological disorder.
Out of a hundred Brass Dragons, perhaps only two or three lacked this compulsive talkativeness and were considered 'normal dragons.' Of course, what was normal to other dragons might not seem so normal to other Brass Dragons. Normalcy is relative.
The Brass Dragon had a lot to say all at once.
Saga didn't know how to respond, and meanwhile, the Topaz Dragon rolled its eyes and interjected, "Krynn, do you really want to leave an impression of a chatterbox on our first meeting? You could talk a little less."
The Brass Dragon shook her head, saying:
"You think I talk too much, that I'm a chatterbox, because you haven't met my other Brass Dragon kin. In fact, I'm considered quite reserved among my group."
"I remember when I was young, four or five Brass Dragons around my age would gather to communicate, and I could hardly get a word in. They always found me too reticent."
You call that reticent?
Saga and the Topaz Dragon exchanged glances, wanting to say something, but the Brass Dragon showed no signs of stopping, continuing to speak in Dragon Tongue without giving them a chance to interject.
"Besides, isn't being talkative a virtue? Communication between Sapient Beings always brings me joy."
"Well, actually, even conversations with non-Sapient Beings can be quite interesting. Sometimes the difference between Sapient and non-Sapient Beings isn't that significant."
She spoke quickly, jumping from one topic to another as if she could go on forever.
Eventually, the Brass Dragon exhaled slowly, concluding:
"Anyway, I think the best drink suited for dragons is the ice wine produced by the barbarians of the Alas continent."
How the conversation had turned to this topic was anyone's guess, but it was with a sense of lingering satisfaction that she finally paused her relentless speech.
Quite the talker.
Saga inwardly remarked.
He remained silent, curious to see how far the Brass Dragon could go on her own, and was astounded by the result.
Seeing the Brass Dragon's look of unfinished business, Saga thought that perhaps she was considering the first impression and had forced herself to stop, speaking less than she would have liked.
"If a group of Brass Dragons were to engage in conversation without interruption, they might keep talking until the end of the world."
Saga mused internally, not hiding his thoughts from the Topaz Dragon, who could hear his mind.
"Yes, I think so too."
"If it weren't for the need to securely take down the Storm Giant clan, and if there weren't a better candidate, I wouldn't have wanted to involve a Brass Dragon. She really talks too much."
The Topaz Dragon's voice echoed in Saga's mind, in agreement.
At this point, regardless of whether Saga and the Topaz Dragon responded, the Brass Dragon, after a brief pause, started talking again. Saga and the Topaz Dragon didn't listen closely to what she was saying, instead communicating normally in their minds.
Until the Brass Dragon's need to talk was satisfied.
Only then did Saga and the Topaz Dragon begin to communicate normally.
"Now that we're all here, we shouldn't delay. Let's set out for the Grayrock Archipelago."
"Krynn and I can stay hidden, then when you initiate the war against the Storm Giant clan, we'll strike at the right moment, cutting off the giants' chance to escape."
Saga proposed.
At that moment, the gazes of the Blue Dragon, Gulitia, and the Brass Dragon, Krynn, met.
The Brass Dragon clicked her tongue twice, saying:
"A Blue Dragon following a youngling is quite rare indeed. The other Blue Dragons I've met were usually lords of their own domains, ruling over many Sapient Beings."
Brass Dragons were often seen in deserts or oceans.
These were also environments favored by Blue Dragons.
Due to similar territorial preferences, Blue and Brass Dragons were more likely to encounter each other in the wild, and their conflicts were not minor. However, under normal circumstances, Brass Dragons were usually at a disadvantage, with Blue Dragons being stronger at the same age.
The Blue Dragon did not respond to the Brass Dragon's provocative words, avoiding her gaze.
There was no helping it; the opponent was an adult Brass Dragon. Although Blue Dragons ranked higher than Brass Dragons among dragonkind, talking about rank without considering age was nonsensical. Excluding exceptions like Saga, a juvenile Red Dragon would not be able to defeat an adult Brass Dragon.
After provoking the Blue Dragon,
The Brass Dragon turned her gaze back to Saga, her mischievous demeanor gone as she said:
"Of course, it's also rare for a youngling to have a juvenile dragon as a follower. I'm curious how you managed it. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I definitely wouldn't have believed what Matthias said earlier."
The same words that were a provocation to the Blue Dragon were praise for Saga.
The Brass Dragon's attitude was clear.
"Don't mind her; she once had her territory taken by an adult Blue Dragon."
The Topaz Dragon interjected, "Gulitia, I also invite you to the Grayrock Archipelago to assist me against the Storm Giant clan. Of course, you'll be properly compensated for this."
The Blue Dragon pondered for a moment, glancing at Saga.
Saga said, "Let's go together. There's nothing else for you to do at Moon Bay, and whatever Matthias offers you as a reward will be yours."
"Alright, count me in."
The Blue Dragon was eager.
Given the relationship between dragons and giants, even without personal grudges, they wouldn't mind lending a hand to destroy the other side, especially if there was a reward involved.
Immediately, Saga instructed his followers to guard Moon Bay well, especially First Quarter Island with its gemstone mine.
Now with a seventh-tier Undead Tremorboar skeleton, a Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon, a large Slime, numerous Shark Tigers, and Lamprey Fishmen, the defense of Moon Bay was actually quite formidable. After securing the Grayrock Archipelago's Giantstone Island, Saga would not abandon Moon Bay, as it not only had a gemstone mine but could also serve as a backup domain.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Gusts of wind howled into being.
Beneath the night sky, the campfires still burned as four dragons flapped their wings, rising into the air and heading for the Grayrock Archipelago under the cover of darkness.