As I settled onto my platform, the cool air of the celestial ranges caressed my scales, and the bustling of the nearby church headquarters filled my ears. The priests and other church occupants knew better than to approach me without my permission, and so they kept their distance, whispering their prayers in hushed tones. Some even prostrated themselves to the ground, a gesture of reverence that I found amusing, but I paid them no heed.

I then turned to my apprentices and gave each of them a few pointers on their mana manipulation techniques, making mental notes on where each needed improvement before I then revealed the purpose of my visit:

"I came here today concerning a matter of grave importance," I began, "What I am about to tell you is something no mortal had ever heard of or known before." Gasps of surprise and concern rippled through my apprentices, and I paused to let my words sink in.

I raised my claw and pointed to the sky above before speaking, "Out there, far beyond the skies, there are outside threats to our plane that we, the dragons, constantly fight against to keep the realm safe."

My apprentices nervously glanced at each other, as they listened to my words in worry, "These are the shades, beings of great power and malevolence that seek to destabilize this world."

I looked at their faces, noticing their frowns of confusion, and continued. "Recently, one of the avatars of a shade had infiltrated the mortal plane and possessed the body of a knight. This possession has made the knight a formidable foe, and I fear that the shade will use his body to cause destruction and chaos."

Lana's eyes widened at the mention of the Shade, and I could sense her unease. She had already seen the destruction it had caused with her own eyes, and she knew the danger it posed. But she still remained at ease when she glanced at me, her master. The others exchanged worried glances, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"That is why I have come here," I said, my voice ringing with authority. "I believe that we can use the resources of the church and the mortals to track down this possessed knight and take him down before it's too late."

They nodded, their faces resolute with unwavering determination. "We will do whatever it takes, Master," Jon, spoke for the group.

"Good, I know you will," I said, a hint of a smile appearing on my draconic lips.

"The Shade's possession seems to be incomplete for some reason. It looks like it failed to completely take over the knight's body, which is both good and bad for us. Good since that means its strength is still not that high, bad since this means it could hide its aura from me completely, If it chooses to not take control of the knight's body, then it is essentially impossible to find."

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"I understand, master. We will send the word through our channels to keep an eye out for the knight, master," Morena spoke, "We just need a description of the knight,"

"I'll provide you with the description —" Lana raised her hand and spoke.

The others looked at her and nodded. It seems like they were already made aware of her previous encounter with the shade.

"Good, also. The task is to just secure his location, no one is to engage with him in a fight. I will be the one to handle the bastard. Is that clear?" I asked, to which my disciples hurriedly nodded.

"En," I then turned to Jon, and spoke, "Jon, you handle informing the empires and kingdoms. I want everyone to be on the lookout for this guy."

"Your word is my command, master," he said with a deep respectful bow.

"Morena, you and Lana will continue to handle the church's channels,"

Both ladies simultaneously replied with a bow, "Yes, master!"

"Halbor, you are in charge of informing the elves and coordinating with them. I believe that shouldn't be a problem for you?"

"No problem at all, master. We will find him," the elf answered resolutely.

"That leaves you two," I turned toward my youngest disciples, Wane and Kaida.

Wane quickly stood at attention as I glanced at them, while Kaida's eyes tinkled with determination as she waited for my orders.

"Take a few people with you, and head back to the demon's lands. Wane, you take care of your junior sister, she's still not used to her powers just yet, so as her senior her safety is your responsibility."

"Rest assured, master, we will not fail you."

"Good," I retracted my gaze and turned toward the others before continuing, "You might come across a few dragon born, some of you might know them as the divine blessed instead. Some might be able to help you, but not all will be inclined to do so. So in the end, this mission is up to you, understood?"

"Yes, master!" They all once again replied simultaneously. I was well aware of the presence of the dragon born across the mortal plane, the problem was, each one of them was first and foremost loyal to their patron dragon. And while I was sure that the dragons' stance against the shades was united, I wasn't quite sure if they would agree to join hands with the mortals. Hence when it was best not to count on them. This was my task to handle, after all.

"Alright then, you may leave and begin," I said with a dismissive wave. My apprentices quickly bowed and took their leave, only Kaida hesitated and glanced at her senior brothers and sisters before she approached me. Wane frowned but stayed behind to wait for her.

I raised my brow in curiosity, "What is it little one?"

"Master, I have a few questions concerning some spells I've been working on, and I was wondering if you could help clear some of my confusion," she said with a bow.

"Hmm, I am free right now, so I suppose it will not hurt to do so," I raised my head toward Wane who was shifting anxiously a distance away before speaking, "Come here, child. You can join as well."

His face beamed with happiness as he hurried over excitedly, "Yes, thank you, master!"

"No matter," I shook my head with a smile and began to listen to Kaida's questions concerning mana and her spells. Since there was nothing better to do now while I wait for the news, to come, it was best to occupy myself with something.