CHAPTER 7 - SO WE ARE A TEAM THEN
City lord Rubyfist requested to send an honor guard with them. Roeg-Hiam was usually low key but he needed to make an impression so he allowed it. Between Roeg-Hiam's aura and their grim dwarven escort their trip through the Underdark was uneventful. It would take them a week to make it to the Drow lands. If not for the Dwarven escort the trip would only take 3 days but Roeg-Hiam did not complain after all there was a door to his Realm built inside the carriage. He and Laureline spent most of the day there. He spent that time educating Laureline on Greater Sorcery while the carriage moved through the Underdark making a show.
Two days into their journey Roeg-Hiam received a message from Doleung the Azure, the missive included coordinates, a date and time. The date was two days hence.
At first Laureline was ecstatic, going into a frenzy, choosing clothes and agonizing over a gift.
Roe looked into his Dragon Lore and dissuaded her from giving a gift. Dragon Lords were proud and oftentimes tried to one-up each other, he’d rather not start that. Seeing Laureline getting more and more nervous Roe couldn’t help but to tease her.
“Don’t worry love if a fight breaks out, It’ll be a friendly tussle, I doubt anyone will use any entropy bombs… probably.” She promptly smacked him.
***
Roeg-Haim and Laureline teleported to the coordinates high into the sky. Below them was a magnificent crystal mountain, like a cone shaped gothic cathedral.
“Oh Roe, it’s like your mountain in the Realm.” Laureline said as she hugged his bicep tighter.
The two of them were dressed more casually than most meetings. Laureline was wearing white boots and leggings with a black sleeveless tunic dress and a white over coat. Roe was in his Dragon-Newt form but wore a white V-neck sweater, the back was specially designed to handle his wings. The rest of his ensemble consisted of a pair of blue jeans and white sneakers. Once again Laureline had noted that she had never seen footwear like this before and he had promised to make some for her when they returned.
On a balcony on the Mountain lair a giant banner declared “Welcome” so Roe angled their glide toward it. A beautiful female Elf awaited them. She wore a black loose fitting toga synced at the waist with a thick blue sash and blue slippers on her feet. The toga was delightfully short, falling just below the curve of her behind.
“Greetings Milord and … Lady, my name is Fiola please follow me.” Although subtle, Roeg-Hiam didn’t miss the pause in the greeting nor how the Elf side-eyed his Drow Matriarch.
The Elf led them into the mountain. The passage was lit with many colours via veins of crystals embedded in the walls. Laureline marveled at the splendor around them while Roe just enjoyed watching the sway of their guide’s hips.
The passage opened into a massive cavern with 3 levels, they had entered on the second level where people milled about, where there was a buffet and seating. To the left on the first level was a lake, where a few dragons happily swam in their true but smaller forms and ladies of various races joined them. And to the right on the third and highest level sat the host Doeleung in his massive true form.
Their Elven guide bowed to the room, an act that let Roe know she had foregone underwear, and announced them.
“Lord Roeg-Hiam the Midnight.”
All heads turned their way. There were 44 other Dragon Lords present. All of which took a Dragon Newt form and came over to introduce themselves. Roe was surprised at how friendly and welcoming they all were.
Looking around Roe realised that the Dragon’s colours corresponded to the 7 elements; Earth (browns), Fire (reds), Wind (Whites), Water (blues), Wood (greens), Light (golds) and Dark (blacks).
He was also shocked to find out there were only two Black Dragons there. Himself and another one which stood to the back of the crowd, wide-eyed in disbelief.
Roe noted the other Black Dragon Lord's Matriarch who was clutching to her Lord with tears running down her cheeks, a raven haired beauty with alabaster skin and luminous red eyes. She was a Vampire, but rather than cold and aloof she seemed vibrant. She looked back and forth between Roe and her Lord while hopping up and down.
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The crowd stilled and parted, clearing a path between the two. They stood studying each other, the elder Dragon's scales were matte black but Roe noticed that every breath he took the space between his scales glowed red, as if his lungs were the bellows to some inner furnace.
When neither of them moved forward. Doeleung walked to the elder Dragon and draped his arm over him.
"Brother Bo, your flight finally has a second member, don't be shy. Introduce yourself."
The elder Dragon Lord walked forward, gathering himself to his full Dragon Newt height.
"Well met younger brother I am Bo-Gradoom the Umbra."
"Roeg-Hiam the Midnight, well, met." The two shook hands.
“Am I to assume you are my sire? I thought we Dragons don’t put much clout into that.”
Bo-Gradoom laughed, his tension bleeding away.
“Indeed I am your Sire, but you are correct, we Dragon Lords don't care for such things, just call me Brother like all the rest. Over the millenia many Black Dragons have been born but for some silly reason ‘Black’ creatures are usually seen as ill omen on this world. You are the first of the Black Dragons to last long enough to pass the trials and gain sentience.”
Roe digested this information, Dragon Lore had let him know nothing on the survival rates of Dragons according to their colours.
“Dragon Lore tells me ‘Flights’ are family units. So we are a team then, elder brother Bo.” Bo-Gradoom’s smile was so wide his eyes were closed.
“Yes we are!”
A cheer went up from the other Dragon Lords.
The party went into full swing after that meeting, Roe spoke of his travels and heard of adventures other Dragon Lords had.
After mingling for a while the ladies broke away from their Dragon Lords. Mathilde, Bo-Gradoom’s Vampire Matriarch took Laureline by hand and led her over to a seating area and the other Matriarchs followed. Golems quickly popped out of the ground to serve the ladies drinks and finger foods while the females engaged in hushed conversation and intermittent raucous laughter.
The Dragon Lords headed to the upper floor, they were each followed by a female Elf dressed in togas that matched the colours of the Dragon Lord they were assigned to serve. The same Elf that had been his guide, Fiola, was by his side during the event. She got him what he asked for, all the while giving him lusty looks.
On the upper floor of the cave the Dragon Lords gave into their competitive nature engaging in numerous games.
Roe was shocked to see table tennis, darts, as well as variations of Foosball, pinball and a plethora of card games.
Roeg-Hiam noticed they had no variations of Pool or Billiards, he quickly created a table and all the items needed for a game. After explaining the rules and giving some demonstrations Roeg-Hiam took a back seat and watched. The Dragon Lords caught on quickly and very soon became skilled. Roeg-Hiam made a few more tables and a tournament began.
Icoden, a White Dragon Lord, won the competition. The next event that happened came out of talks of their travels. The Dragon Lords took turns singing songs they picked up over their lifetimes. The ladies present were amazed, all the Dragon Lords had wonderful singing voices. When it was Roeg’s turn he performed one of his favourite songs from his past life, one he sang often at karaoke. ‘So Good’ by Al Jarreau. He locked eyes with Laureline in the audience and sang just to her. By the end of his rendition the atmosphere was cozy.
Soon afterwards the party began to break up. Roeg-Hiam, Bo-Gradoom and Doeleung saw off the others. Roeg-Hiam was there to collect and share contact information. Bo-Gradoom stood in solidarity with Roeg-Hiam, as the proud leader of their very small Flight. Doeleung was seeing everyone off as the host.
It came as no surprise to Roeg-Hiam that Doeleung offered the girls that were acting as servants as gifts to their corresponding Dragon Lords.
Each Dragon Lord left happily with his Matriarch and a new member for his Harem. Up until Roeg-Hiam.
"No thank you." Roeg-Hiam refused directly. Doleung's smile faltered. Seeing this Roeg-Hiam turned to Bo-Gradoom.
"Was that rude? Should I have accepted Fiola and then disposed of her later?"
Bo-Gradoom was obviously going to accept his Elf, he held her to one side and his Vampire Matriarch on the other while thoroughly caressing both their asses.
"It is better to refuse than to treat her badly." Bo-Gradoom replied before posing a question.
"I do however wonder, what's your reason for refusing?"
"Fiola will bring strife and unrest to my harem and I don't need that." Roeg-Hiam replied.
Doeleung's Matriarch, a Nine Tail Fox Demon named Saiya, was panicked.
"Lord Roeg-Hiam, all of these girls were trained by me personally. I guarantee all of them would make a great addition to any harem. Fiola is by far my best student. I trained her well enough to be a Matriarch herself."
"I'm sure you did a great job Lady Saiya, let's find out from Fiola herself, why she looks at my Matriarch with disdain." All eyes turned to Fiola who was caught in a dilemma.
To lie to a Dragon Lord was a death sentence but confessing she found the Drow people an inferior Elven race and that Laureline didn't deserve to be the Matriarch to a mighty Dragon Lord. Fiola had every intention of undermining Laureline and taking the role of Matriarch for herself admitting this would not be much better.
"Ara, ara." Mathilde said, looking disappointed.
Fiola immediately dropped to the ground apologising profusely. Fiola quickly confessed to her prejudices and her plan. It was best she did it herself, rather than let Lady Mathilde do it. Fiola had forgotten that the pretty goth gyrating on Lord Bo-Gradoom's thigh was one of the oldest most powerful vampires in the world. For Mathilde reading minds was second nature.
Doeleung's face was like thunder and Lady Saiya's wasn't much better.
"I am sorry Lord Roeg-Hiam, it seems I raised a viper." Lady Saiya said. "Please let me make this right."
Roeg-Hiam shook his head.
"Lady Saiya there is no need to apologize. If you wish to make it up to me, then I beg for leniency on Fiola's behalf."
"Fine, we'll see to it she learns a little humility, rather than just eliminating her." Doeleung replied.
Roeg-Hiam didn’t like the sound of that but decided he had caused the blue Dragon Lord enough embarrassment.
Roeg-Hiam and Laureline returned to their carriage which was nearing its destination.