Chapter 25

Azuron’s POV

My father and I walked alongside the humans through the dense forest, our steps careful to avoid revealing anything of our true nature. We could sense their unease—the constant questions about why we were there and what our plans were. But father and I were not inclined to answer, not yet. I stifled a chuckle, imagining their faces when they discovered our true forms. The thought of it almost made me laugh outright. They were clueless about what was to come.

Father had told me earlier that the clan planned to teach these humans magic, but at a cost. They would have to be subordinate to the clan, their loyalty unquestioning. It seemed humans from worlds devoid of magic possessed an unusual affinity for mana once they were exposed to it. They often became some of the most powerful magic users. Their untapped potential could make them valuable assets—especially for our clan, which sought to expand its influence without drawing too much attention. These humans could gather intelligence, search for other dragons, hunt down rare magical artifacts, or even rise to high-ranking positions in the kingdoms of other races, feeding us information and sending back treasure.

The plan was brilliant, though risky. Humans were unpredictable, but if they could be controlled, their usefulness was immense. Now, in a small forest clearing, we were ready to reveal our true selves and bring them fully into the fold.

“Um, what are we doing here?” one of the humans, a woman with a ponytail, asked nervously.

"Don't worry about it. Just stand by," I replied, a sly smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

I exchanged a glance with my father. It was time. Slowly, we walked to the center of the clearing, far enough away that we wouldn’t accidentally harm the humans during the transformation. Then, I released the magic holding my humanoid form together. A brilliant, blinding blue light engulfed me, and I felt the familiar surge of power as my true form began to emerge.

Jacob’s POV

I watched as Azuron and his father stepped away from us, my stomach twisting in knots. We had been traveling with them for days, yet we still didn’t know much about Azuron’s father—he hadn’t even told us his name. We just called him “Sir.” Now, they were walking to the center of the clearing, Azuron telling us to "stand by," like it was no big deal. The air around them felt different, charged with an energy I couldn’t explain. I fidgeted, trying to find something to say, anything to break the tension.

Then, suddenly, the clearing was bathed in a radiant blue light so bright I had to close my eyes. When I dared to open them, my heart almost stopped.

Two gigantic dragons now stood where Azuron and his father had been moments before. The smaller of the two—though still colossal—had dark blue scales along its back and a lighter blue underside that ran all the way to its chin. Two horns protruded from the back of its skull, and it had frills around its head that fluttered slightly in the breeze. Its wings were enormous, leathery like a bat’s, and spikes ran down its spine to the tip of its tail. But the most mesmerizing part was its eyes—three striking colors: blue, yellow, and red.

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The larger dragon, easily twice the size of the first, had darker scales and far more menacing horns. Its eyes were a deep, shimmering green that seemed to pierce through me.

“D-Dragon!” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper as I stared at the two massive creatures before me. My friends screamed in terror, and my own heart pounded wildly in my chest. How could this be real? Dragons? The stuff of legends now stood right in front of us. I could feel the ground tremble beneath my feet as they moved.

Before I could completely lose myself to panic, a booming, yet familiar, voice echoed through the clearing.

“Stop panicking, humans. It’s merely me, Azuron, and my father,” the smaller dragon said.

I blinked in disbelief. That voice—it couldn’t be!

“W-wait, you're Azuron!?” I yelled, still in shock.

The dragon that was once Azuron grumbled in what I could only assume was laughter.

“Yes, it is me, Jacob,” he said.

I was dumbstruck. Our supposed teacher, Azuron, was a dragon? My mind raced. How long had he been hiding this? All this time, we thought he was just some powerful magic user. Ava, one of my companions, yelled in disbelief, “You’ve been a dragon this entire time?”

Azuron simply nodded. We stood there, stunned, unable to comprehend the enormity of the revelation.

“Come, humans, we must return home,” the larger dragon, Azuron’s father, said in a deep, commanding voice. It was clear now why Azuron had called him ‘father’ despite their different appearances. They were both dragons.

"W-wait! What about our magic lessons?” Christian stammered, his voice shaking. “Are you still going to teach us?”

Azuron perked up at the question, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Do you think being a dragon would stop me from teaching magic?” he asked, his tone light.

Christian nodded uncertainly, his face pale.

Azuron chuckled, the sound rumbling through the clearing. “No, no, no. You’ve got it all wrong. One thing I love more than anything in this world—well, maybe besides treasure—is magic. I live for it. I love studying it, practicing it, and using it. And as of recently, I’ve found I also enjoy teaching it. So yes, I will still teach you. But first, we must get back to the clan.”

He glanced at his father, who was starting to look impatient, his green eyes narrowing slightly. It seemed the elder dragon wasn’t one for idle chatter.

"Wait, how are we supposed to get there?" Ava asked, her voice quivering with excitement.

Azuron sighed. "Get on."

Ava’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, are we actually going to ride on a dragon’s back!?” she squealed.

Her excitement was quickly crushed by two sharp glares from both dragons. Azuron’s father hissed in irritation. “No, human. That would ruin my pride if I let you. You will ride in my paw, not on my back.”

Without another word, the larger dragon extended his massive left paw, his talons gleaming in the sunlight.

And just like that, we found ourselves clambering into the dragon’s paw, feeling the powerful muscles beneath the scales as he closed his claws around us. My heart raced as I settled into the crook of his palm, the realization sinking in that we were being carried to an unknown fate—on the whim of dragons.

The forest blurred beneath us as the dragon lifted off the ground, his massive wings beating against the air.