Chapter 311: Chapter 213: Attacked from All Sides
This time, David and his companions didn’t have to wait long outside the fortress before a horn sounded from within the mountains, its tone distinctly different from the previous one.
With this horn’s call, many Dwarves, initially nervous at seeing so many dragons gathered, finally relaxed. They lowered their guard, put away their weapons, and formed a ceremonial line before the fortress.
Only then did David flap his wings gently and descend onto Rune Rock Peak at Eight Peaks Mountain. He took the lead, striding through the slowly opening iron gates of the solitary fortress.
Perhaps because nearly every dragon bore injuries, a sense of unease permeated this sudden meeting, especially since they were entering the Dwarves’ lair.
Alfonse, the Black Dragon with a crossbow bolt in his lung, was entirely reliant on Tania’s healing magic. He lay on Viola’s back, looking all around him. He saw that he was the most severely injured. Yet, Mofei, the weakest among them—the White Dragon with half his tail missing—could still jump around lively. Alfonse’s face was etched with gloom as the thought ran through his head: Why am I always so unlucky?
After landing on the cliff, Mofei, holding the tip of his tail in his mouth and trotting with an awkward, uncoordinated gait, scurried over like a cat clutching a pacifier. He stealthily approached Lizrite, the Red Dragon, and slurred as he whispered, "Boss, this fortress clearly has some tough individuals... Aren’t we walking into a trap by going in? Like a ’Hongmen Banquet’?"
Thanks to David Uthos, the Red Dragon lord, and his decades of unconscious ’cultural invasion,’ along with the widespread influence of Tania, his socially adept dragon sister, even Mofei—one of the three dunces of the camp—was now able to ’quote classics.’
Ironically, Lizrite, another of the three dunces, actually caught the ’classic reference.’ Rolling her eyes, her ear-fins flapping, she replied with a look of utter disgust, "What banquet? Take a good look at yourself, you coward! Have these Skanis Dwarves even invited *you*? They invited David Uthos; we’re just tagging along. If you’re so terrified of dying all the time, why don’t you just stay outside the fortress?"
"Hehe, I’m just scared of getting beaten up again, so I was thinking of taking precautions, hehehe," Mofei said, immediately dropping his head guiltily as he saw everyone turn to look at him with disdain.
He didn’t dare admit he was actually ’homesick’ and eager to return to see Kraidian, his ’Mother.’
He missed the touch of ’Mother’s’ hand on his scales, the way she’d pat his rump, the comforting warmth of her body when she sat on his back.
Even when ’Mother’ hit him, it was always with the gentlest care; the slight pain was even a bit exhilarating. It was nothing like those starving fiends in Barto Hell, who always thrashed him mercilessly. It was only because he, Mofei, had learned the [Sculpted Hide Dragon] technique, which made his hide incredibly tough, and he was also skilled at adapting to the situation, that he survived. Any other dragon would have died a hundred and eighty times by now.
He wondered if, after more than thirty years, ’Mother’ still remembered him, her most well-behaved dragon child. Sigh...
While Mofei was immersed in his silent yearning, trailing behind David and the other dragons, the dragons in front suddenly stopped. Thankfully, he braked just in time; otherwise, crashing into Boss Lizrite’s backside would surely have resulted in her ripping off a layer of his scales.
No! Even though he had stopped at least ten centimeters away, Lizrite still whipped her head around, bared her teeth, and let out a ’HA!’ at him, making his scales bristle in fright.
He felt a pang of injustice. After all, they were dragons who had faced life and death together for decades! Yet, ironically, the female dragons like Lizrite, Shadila, and Viola never gave him a second glance.
He, Mofei, was a White Dragon approaching adulthood too!
Sometimes, he truly envied the monogamous system of the Gold and Silver Dragons. Chromatic Dragons were different, more like lion prides, where the strongest and most charismatic male easily garnered the attention and favor of all the female dragons. As long as David Uthos, their boss, was around, no female dragon would ever look his way.
This was truly bad news.
But the good news was that Alfonse, that despicable Black Dragon, surely received the same treatment.
Wait! But Alfonse had a caring and loving younger sister!
Mofei suddenly felt utterly envious!
Feeling miserable, Mofei found himself missing ’Mother’ again.
Huh? As he recalled ’Mother’ Kraidian’s equally slender and charming figure, an idea suddenly popped into Mofei’s head:
Wait a minute, I’m a dragon! Why should my choice of mate be limited to other dragons? Couldn’t I choose from other races? For example... finding a Drow like ’Mother’ wouldn’t be so bad!
Hold on, Drow are generally too clever. What if things go wrong and she runs off with my treasure?
This question stumped Mofei. Then, he recalled the peculiar relationship between his boss and Xiat the Drow, and a sleazy grin spread across his face.
I could save up and buy a [Magic Enslavement Contract] from the boss, and then buy a Drow slave!
As this line of thought and his unconventional desires unfolded, Mofei suddenly felt that the bleak, lonely dragon life he had resigned himself to now had a glimmer of hope.
Hehe, when I get back, I’ll ask ’Mother’ to ’introduce’ me to a Drow young lady. ’Mother’ loves Mofei the most; she’ll definitely praise my cleverness!