At the small desk within his room, Lee scanned over the small pile of reports he’d been given about the coordinated attacks on the Healer’s Sanctum’s bases of operations and the attacks on his hospital.

It wasn’t a surprise that most of the information he had was about them attacking him, and not the other way around, but it still wasn’t ideal. He’d like to get a baseline as to how they defended themselves and their general levels to know ahead of time what they’d deal with as they fought towards wherever this dragon was situated. Which, if this was anything like how his current life was going, was something he’d have to face whether he’d like too or not.

He’d had severe doubts about staying around to help with a fucking dragon of all things. There was little stopping him from just up and leaving this country as a whole and moving on towards better and brighter things somewhere unknown. All the political turmoil, war, and uncomfortable prestidge he’d gathered or witnessed was, frankly, out of his pay grade. He didn’t want do be doing any of this, and he realized that he didn’t have to help if he didn’t want too. At the end of the day, none of this was his problem and he could legitimately leave this country to rot and move on, forgetting they existed.

Sadly, a guilty conscience and a personal debt kept him sulking in his room. He’d come to Thexis to free his original saviors, the Dark Elves. He’d succeeded, and apparently, they’re well on their way to entering their homeland for the first time in just about a thousand years. Leaving them to deal with the aftermath of his own actions to take down the sanctum was just a dick move.

But, decisions of staying or leaving behind him, he still needed information. The reports he’d been given had been basically useless in the grand scheme of things, so the only option left was to talk to someone who’d actually dealt with this dragon before.

After a minute of preparation, Lee walked out of his hospital and headed straight for the Blight’s Manor. Jeremy had mentioned getting in some sort of trouble with a dragon in the past, and he’d be stupid to think that the dragon under their city who controls the Healer’s Sanctum wasn’t the same dragon.

Out in front of the manor, several well-armored guards stood at rapt attention. Unlike the town or village militiamen he’d grown accustomed to seeing, these were the real deal. Even though Lee wasn’t a martial expert, there were times when you could just look at someone and know deep down that they meant business. These three guards fit that description.

Deciding that his position as ‘most important healer and maybe person in the entire kingdom’ was good enough as an entry ticket, Lee turned on his titles and approached with as much confidence as he could muster. Their heads swung towards him, and one of them left towards to manor.

“Halt! State your business.” The first guard said, as he and his remaining friend locked their spears together to block the entry.

“I’m here to talk with Jeremy and Jermiah. I’ve just returned from the war-front.”

The guards glanced at one another from under their visors, then the clanking of metal from behind announced the third guard returning. He leaned and whispered to the guard who had originally spoken, earning a nod.

“You may enter.”

With the shifting of metal, their spears unlinked and opened the way. Lee gave them each a nod of respect as he passed by and walked up the stone path to the large double doors where the same butler/doorman from before stood at attention. Without speaking, the man opened up the doors and gestured inside with a slight bow.

With confident strides, Lee entered inside, walked past the airlock room, and entered the central lobby to come upon a nervous Jeremy, who was in the process of smothering his clothes to look the part of ‘noble’. “Jeremy, is your father around?” Lee asked.

“It’s good to see you too, Lee.” Jeremy frowned at the straightforward question.

“I’m here about a delicate, extremely important topic. Is your father around? You’ll also need to attend this meeting.” Lee gazed around the lobby as he waited for Jeremy to grasp the seriousness of this meeting.

“Lee, coming by unannounced is—” He started, but Lee just cut him off. He wasn’t here to make friends, he was here for answers.

“I quite frankly don’t give a damn, Jeremy. This is about the dragon, so I don’t have time for pleasantries. Get your father and tell him I am here for a meeting.” Lee sat down in a nearby cushioned chair as he watched Jeremy’s insulted look fade away to one of pure fear. He scampered off down the hall, and once out of sight, Lee swiveled his gaze to the butler who stood calmly by the door, arms crossed and back straight.

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“You know anything about this dragon?” Lee asked, conversationally as he used Identify.

Johan Blight - Human - Level: 34 Seneschal (Common)

“No, sir.” Came the instant reply.

Lee stared the older gentlemen down for a few seconds, stopping once he fidgeted. “I doubt that.”

After a minute of waiting in the very awkward atmosphere he’d created, Jeremy returned his with father by his side. Lee stood and gestured for them to lead the way, and without any words, Jeremiah nodded.

They wound up in the same office Lee had visited before, and as soon as Lee sat down, he cut to the chase. “So, the dragon under your city is in charge of the Healer’s Sanctum.”

Lee looked from Jermiah’s to Jeremy’s face, gauging their response, only to frown. “It seems you already knew that.”

Jeremiah steepled his fingers and released a sigh as he stared down at his desk. “Yes.”

“Okay then, what else can you tell me about this dragon? Because now that it’s on the kingdom’s radar, it’s going to be dealt with. With you city being the staging ground.”

Jeremiah looked vaguely confused, at his explanation. “Radar?”

“Ignore that… Just, tell me what you know so I can prepare for the worst.” Lee took a glass of water from Jeremy, who then placed another in front of his father.

“Dendros, the Dragon of Waste and Woes. He’s… a schemer, but still much too arrogant and prideful…” Jeremiah paused, debaiting on what to say next. “How much do you know about dragons in general?”

Lee leaned forward. “Enormous four-legged scaled creatures who can breathe fire and fly with their wings. Reptilian-esque look. They come in different colors. Red, Blue, Black… There’s also metal ones? Gold and silver?”

He wasn’t too knowledgeable about the dragons from Earth, but he knew a little bit—like all boys did. If he was lucky, Dendros wouldn’t be an eastern dragon, he’d know next to nothing other than their appearance.

Jeremiah and Jeremy looked surprised by his knowledge. “That’s… correct. Dendros is a green dragon who specializes in poison and illusions. Green dragons are notorious schemers and master manipulators. They aren't simply beasts driven by instinct; they are highly intelligent and cunning, preferring to plot their victories rather than rush into battle. Their strength lies not only in their physical strength but in their ability to twist both the environment and the minds of those who dare to oppose them.

A hallmark of green dragons is their use of poison. Unlike their fire-breathing kin, green dragons emit a noxious, toxic breath—a cloud of virulent gas that can choke the life out of anything caught in its path. The poison lingers, seeping into the ground and the air, corrupting nature around them. Large swaths of lands are poisoned and their life snuffed out in slow, agonizing decay. This is one reason he resides beneath the mountains, an old pact made with the kingdom itself.

But, what makes green dragons truly dangerous is their affinity for illusions. Masters of deception, they delight in creating elaborate traps and mirages to confuse, mislead, and disorient their enemies. They can make a tunnel pathway seem safe, only to lead the unsuspecting into a dead-end or ambush. Through illusions, green dragons can manipulate the battlefield to their advantage, never needing to engage directly until the perfect moment to strike.

Green dragons are not creatures of brute strength but of manipulation. They are always thinking several steps ahead, weaving plots and deceptions to outwit their enemies. They will patiently wait, watching their prey stumble through false visions, poisoned air, and a twisting landscape of confusion, striking only when they have completely crushed the spirit and hope of their adversaries.

They thrive on control—of both the battlefield and the minds of their foes. They control their domain with a reign of fear. They’re vile, and purely evil.”

Jeremiah took a sip from his glass as he leaned back, finished with his long winded and obviously well-thought out and researched explanation. But, Lee was curious. “How did you come across this information? I find it hard to believe that you just so happened to discover all of this?”

Jeremiah gave him a pained smile. “Generations and generations of having to deal with Dendros. It’s not like we never tried to get rid of him in the past. Over time, we’ve accumulated enough knowledge to understand the biggest thorn in our side. We don’t know too much about the other types of dragons, mostly that they exist, but our family would be the most knowledgeable on the continent about green dragons. That, I can promise.”

“Do you have any records of your previous attempts to overthrow or kill Dendros? If so, I would like a copy.” Lee said to Jeremiah, before turning toward Jeremy. “Also, what did you do to get in trouble with Dendros in the past? That’s why you were sent to the Wall of Shadows, right?”

Jeremy looked to his father in askance, but Jeremiah looked straight ahead, ignoring his son. “It wasn’t anything major… but, Dendros always thinks that something is more convoluted than it actually is. As a schemer, he thinks others are always scheming as well. I stopped one of his shipments… It was the right thing to do, but Dendros spun it out of proportion. To escape his wraith, I was sent into service.”

Lee wasn’t an idiot, he could tell that this wasn’t the full story, but he didn’t have time to pry. “Jeremiah, records?”

Jeremiah blinked and rose from his seat. “I do believe we have some. I’ll send them over to your hospital as soon as possible.”

Lee shook his hand and murmured his thanks as he watched them leave the office. The butler from before, Johan, appeared at the doorway and gestured out for Lee to leave.

He’d learned a lot, but there was much more to do.