66: Dragon

The owner of a huge pair of emerald green eyes peered into the distance. The owner’s huge body rested on a brown boulder. Its golden scales appeared to be a part of the boulder below. The owner had their long tail behind them. The owner irritably smacked the ground with the tip of their tail, kicking up dirt and dust that had been collected there for millenniums.

That was forever the state of that place during the day. There was virtually never a day where there wasn’t sand and dirt. The sand floated in the air as a result of the wind picking it up, thereby shrouding the sky. The sunlight couldn’t pierce the curtain of sand there. Only the sunset rays that carried the shadow of the specks of sand lit up that part of the world.

Everything here looked yellow. Yellow boulders, yellow tumbleweed, yellow lizards and yellow sand wolves. Huge sand worms and very small mammals could be found in here. You would think that a place like this can't sustain life, but the species in here have adapted to the desert.

The huge beast peered in a particular direction with its eyes similar to a snake’s. It was sitting at the highest location there. Nothing above ground level was safe there due to the strong winds. The sand the wind blew over only piled up higher and higher owing to the boulder she was on.

The end of the yellow desert was visible from there.  A vague boundary line existed at the end of the place. There was nothing in between. On the other side was green grass and dense forests. The fragrance of the forest and the pure mana on the other side, which was where the yellow eyes were fixated on, was completely different to the desolate place.

There was only one possible reason for there to be barren land in the demon continent, and that was the land no longer rich pure mana protecting it. Mana was the source of all life. Land without mana lost its green colour, and most of the vegetation.

Still… this land found a way to go on even with such low level and impure mana. Creatures have evolved to conserve mana and replenish their supplies from any other possible source, be it plants or other animals they prey on.

But there was a reason this land was a barren. Dragon. A being of myths. A creature of ancient times. The most powerful beings ever known. Even more powerful than a Demon King. Long ago, the demons feared that the dragons would scorch their homes so they started a war to get rid of them.

The war was very intense, but it didn’t last for long. Most dragons were peaceful, but that didn't mean they won't fight back if the need appeared. Alas, with the first generation of Demon Kings uniting for this cause and taking most of them by surprise in their sleep, almost every dragon was killed. But… fate prepared a weird future. All the dragons killed were… males. When the last male dragon fell into a pool of blood, the females felt despair and a sense of danger for the first time. And what's worse, the Demon Kings cut off with their combined magic the river rich in mana that once flowed this land.

Dragons were also animals; animals have desires too. The female dragons, who had lustful feelings every month, realised that there were no more male dragons around them. They, therefore, fell into panic. With no male dragons remaining, they had no way of reproducing. However, the scariest thing for a female dragon was that they didn’t have a partner to satisfy their cravings every month. Dragons were lustful creatures.

All dragons originated from the demon continent. Some fled to other continents. A female dragon during matting season and with no partner is scary. They can go on a rampage and destroy countless villages. That's why dragons were illustrated as evil beings in the eyes of humanity. But it wasn't their fault. Other dragons threw their pride away and using lost magic they gave up their dragon lineage and morphed into elves. Elves valued mana more than any other race, so… if you looked like an elf and had high mana, they would welcome you with open arms, no questions asked.

Doing it with male elves managed to satisfy their carnal lust to an extent, but children born this way would always end up becoming elves. As much as their dragon mothers wanted to bear a dragon, a successor for the bloodline, that act was impossible the moment they discarded their dragon blood for elven blood. They could still shape shift back into their dragon form if they wanted, but it wasn't the same thing.

Nobody knows how long dragons can live. Some say it's around ten thousand years. Some say they are immortal. But even so, the race had almost disappeared.

The lone female dragon, probably the last true dragon still alive, pondered:

"Should I abandon my identity as a dragon and join elven society? Thanks to my dragon lineage, my mana would naturally reign supreme among the elves. I could even rule them, enjoy the elven lifestyle and even have a husband who loves me. Moreover, I wouldn’t have to bear with the monthly torment. All I have to do is forsake my identity as a dragon and live as an elf from now on, forever leaving my dragon identity behind.

I’d feel very blissful, but I can’t accept it. I don’t hate my dragon identity. I don’t hate my body, my scales, my claws or my wings. I’m proud of my dragon body. I have accumulated so much power over the years that I am a creature that stands shoulder to shoulder with a God. How can I forsake my lineage I am most proud of for such things? No way am I doing that. I can’t do something so lowly. No way. I must think of a solution. What other methods are there besides transforming into an elf?"

That method would be for history to repeat itself. To wait for a male to enter the desert. The same way, Gilbert Walpurgis did. Gilbert was a man who didn't come like other glory head demon, just to slay a dragon. He simply wanted to see it. To see it's glory. Since he didn't bear any hostility, the dragon didn't harm him. Instead she was happy. It was a male. A male she could use to ease her lust. She shape shifted into a humanoid form, but didn't forsake her dragon blood like the others. Gilbert had an affair with the beauty even though a few days ago he just got engaged. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he got raped. He actually thought he will die by sex, since her cravings and stamina were immeasurable.

But during the night when she wanted to sleep, he managed to escape. He ran and returned to his home and family, leaving the female dragon alone again.

Since then, no other male willing to have intercourse with her appeared. Those that came to slay her, she had to kill them. She had to defend herself. As the dragon was having those thoughts she took a deep breath in and then narrowed her eyes.

"This scent in the air… it feels different, yet familiar at the same time. Just what kind of strange creature has entered my territory?"