Ruling as the Next Dragon Sage!

"Cl-Cloudjumper! Listen to me, dammit! Someone is on their way and if they see me here like this it's going to be bad for everyone—"

Her tail coils around my neck, her grip tightening like a snake poised for a kill. My breathing slowly becomes restricted, and her scales chip into my skin, pressing against it. I wouldn't be surprised if I was already bleeding from how sharp they are.

Vaniti is on her way here, and the one she sees and will follow everywhere, is being humiliated.

All I could think was a cruel flashback to the time in the dungeon, where she cleared the Ascendant quest by herself for 4 days. If…if Vaniti walks in…and sees me in this state.

There won't be any room for negotiating.

Agh, I even forgot I sent her along for quests. How she was able to deduce my location might be because of my duels with Cloudjumper. The sonic booms over multiple towns and cities…she probably looked up once and noticed.

And already decided it couldn't have been good.

Just before Cloudjumper could say one more thing, the double doors unveiled themselves. Multiple guards, alongside Koga and Sultan came back. Cloudjumper lessened her grip with her tail, and kept it by her side.

I coughed, slightly. It was getting difficult to breathe. But with Vaniti on her way here, the least that needs to happen is more bodies. If I know anything about her, is that she won't hesitate to put a blade in someone's throat.

Especially if she's more than aware of the sides here. She will see anyone, and I mean—anyone, here as antagonistic against me, and against herself as well. I've seen it at the dungeon.

Bodies, and bodies littered.

What if the same thing happens here?

Repeated?

I sense her mana signature again. She's gaining, getting closer and closer. Why has no one noticed it yet? Is it because I sense a greater range than everyone else? Cloudjumper is a Pre-Alpha dragon, so that may be the case.

Sultan and Koga are entirely different. Both humans in their own respective right which means that they may have a far smaller range compared to Cloudjumper and I.

Sultan didn't waste any time, with his golden walker, he walked back to Cloudjumper, side-by-side. He looked down upon me. I held back a snarl I didn't know that I could muster out right now. Draconic nature maybe?

I exhaled greatly, smoke emitting from my own breath. I could feel the [Infernal] magic stir up even being limited by these chains. Sultan laughed shortly after seeing my expression.

"He still hasn't decided?" He asked. Cloudjumper shook her head.

"Still hasn't."

"Yeah…because we have a greater problem. Look around! You see that mist…?!" I spoke out of turn, quickly. The guards didn't bother looking. But the mist slowly covered more and more of the floor.

At this point, it was no longer trying to be hidden. It wanted to be noticeable. And if anything, also timed Vaniti's eventual appearance.

Cloudjumper, Koga, and Sultan noticed. Only the Dragonkin picking up her legs after seeing most of it was covered in mist.

"What…?" Koga didn't understand it. A hand on the hilt of his blade, staring me down with narrowed eyes.

"This is not one of your tricks, is it?"

"Why does everyone think it is? If it was, you still think I would be in these damn chains?" I retort.

"Someone's coming here, and if you all want to live, I suggest you get me out of this."

Sultan chuckled, "Someone, hm? Care to tell us more about this, or is this you trying to get out of this situation by all means, Ryuuzen."

Argh! Why are these people so ignorant? I'm trying to save them! Because the moment Vaniti gets here, all hell will be broken loose. I wish I was exaggerating greatly. She won't take anything for an answer, even if it comes from my own mouth.

The moment she gets here, I frankly don't know in any way how I could explain this to her without at least someone here getting killed. It's not that she's going to be looking for a reason to kill, I need to give her a reason to not hurt anyone here.

And so fucking far, it has been anything BUT that.

I sigh, there's no talking with these people. All three of them are blinded with arrogance, doubt, and disbelief. It's like I'm trying to warn these people of a flood and no one believes it. What kind of luck is this?

"He's been going on about this for the past couple of moments now, maybe the poision has started working." Cloudjumper gave off a smug smile, which, to be fair, was the last thing I needed right now.

"N-no. The poison is not working! It's simply the moment she gets here that—"

I caught myself.

The guards didn't move, but they didn't have to. Sultan's expression lifted, no longer skeptical. More intrigued.

"She?" He spoke.

Shit.

Under so much pressure to try and get them on my side to make things look better, all three of them are refusing to. It's aggravating!

"F-forget it." I tried to cover up my tracks, but maybe that's the worst thing I could've said in that moment. With a swift move of his hand, Cloudjumper's gauntlet grabbed me by my horn with such roughness and force.

"Speak." She demanded.

With her other hand, she slowly raised it. Stretching out each finger before it slowly became a fist. Her tail poised in the air as well, ready to strike.

Then, I looked below.

The white mist was gone.

Where was it?

Wait, don't tell me—

I tried sensing for her mana signature. Vaniti's.

I no longer could.

It just…vanished.

Wait, don't tell me she learned how to mask it as well. Just like Jonah…?!

Cloudjumper's smile widened greatly, "Don't want to speak? Fine by me, then."

Her mind was completely made up to hit me, as fast as her punch was. She was about to, before another sound filled the room.

Glass breaking.

Shards and shrapnel broke out, before a heavy thud could be heard. There, everyone, including the guards looked on.

This mysterious figure, clad in light black armor. Took of her hood, and revealed her split back and blonde hair that was in a ponytail. She…no.

Vaniti was here.

Everyone was shocked, Cloudjumper hid hers quickly, though. But as Vaniti managed to look in our direction, seeing the dragonkin about to hit me. For once, I seen something outside of Vaniti's neutral expression.

Anger.

Her lips curled, and through the blindfold, it still wasn't enough to convey her anger.

But you didn't need to see it.

You just needed to feel it.

Her mana signature quickly bolstered, and everyone was able to sense it.

This is about to go bad, isn't it?