The king reappeared from the ancient passage covered in dragons blood and with the two little dragons following closely behind. As soon as they were seen by the king's knights they drew their swords. The dragons ignored them and said simultaneously, " Thank you my liege. Papa will be fine in a couple of weeks."

They then looked at each other then growled shortly. The young female went back down the tunnel. The other one continued, " Papa will be very weak and hungry for some time so if you can send some food down every day for us that will be very appreciated. Being that none of us can hunt for fish right now."

The young male dragon attempted to bow as his father had then left down the tunnel as well. The king turned to his puzzled knights, who were putting their swords away as one asks, " My Lord why are there dragons under our city? Talking dragons."

The king considered not answering and having the man punished for asking a question in that manner but answered it instead, " Long ago my ancestor nearly slew the old dragon that lives down there. Instead of taking his head, he spared the dragon's life. As all know any who spares a dragon's life or saves it that dragon it became indebted to him. Except for those, we are about to fight without a mind. That dragon has been at my family beck and call ever since this kingdom was formed. He is an old dragon larger than any even on Dragon Mountain. Yet recently he was injured retrieving those two. They are his children and to take his place as guardian. Now go get some animals down that passageway, and make sure they are well satisfied."

It was weeks later at a strategy meeting of the three greater kings of the land. Convened at the dragons' king capital home. The second king was late in his years and was asleep in his chair or his words, ' Resting my eyes till they are needed.' The last one was a child of ten. Inheriting the kingdom as the only son when his father mysteriously died when trying to forge another child in his latest wife, now dead as well, last year. Each was accompanied by their stewards. Magicians of high repute and rivalry. Dating back to when they were being taught by the same master. When the native king entered the old one woke up as the young one stopped complaining to his steward of being bored. " Thank you for coming to my kingdom..."

The old king's steward quickly said, " We should have had it at our kingdom. There we could have rallied our forces for a quick strike. One strong enough to weaken them to extinction."

The other steward speaks up, " Your lands are too close. The attack would quickly be found out about and they would attack the gathering. No, we should have had it at our kingdom. There we could have gathered in numbers large enough to take them out at once."

The first steward then says, " And they will be waiting for us then. That would not work..."

As the two began to insult each other the local king had enough. He slams his fist down and says, " Quiet! The reason why my kingdom was chosen was what both of you said could be done here safely and quickly. You forget we are the closest to them and dealt with them the longest. Now the rest of the armies will be here at weeks end at the latest. We have till then to discuss strategy and how to divide the spoils."

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The old king speaks next, " We know your kingdom is the wealthiest of us three but mine has the iron mines and master metalsmiths."

The young king spoke after that, " And mine has the greatest of the food supply. Which brings numbers greater than you both together. Do not think it matters how rich you are or how well-armored you are when you're surrounded by ten to one."

The local king slams his fist on the table again and speaks, " Not this argument again. That is not why we are here. I'm paying the army as one of you is gathering it and the other is armoring it. The Treaty of Three Kings is in effect. Except our opponents are dragons and not the kingdoms of the east. Which could dominate any one of us individually. Now I will tell what I know of the situation. There are a total of fifty-six flight-capable alive currently at the mountain. Including those ravaging our lands. There are another two hundred and thirty hatched but not yet flight-capable ones there as well."

The young king's steward asks, " How do you know?"

The local king stares at the man as he responds, " That is a secret of My kingdom. One that I will be revealing soon. Now let's talk about how to divide the spoils. I want the land and the eggs intact that are left behind. As well as a quarter as any treasure left behind for my kingdom."

Both kings and stewards stand at the same time as they each say, " That's madness."

Then they look at each other as the old king said, " We want the remains of the dragons for ourselves. As well as half of the wealth."

The young king then says, " I want the surrounding plains. Also half of the treasure as well."

The local king expected such responses and looked at the old king and responded with, " I said I wanted the eggs, not the corpses, and all intact."

He then turned to the other king, "As for the land you would have to pass around mine to get to it. That would cause future problems. How about I relinquish the right to the Gizon plains to you? That will solve all issues. As I will also relinquish all right to the treasure. Do all agree?"

The kings turn to their stewards and start discussing it. Shortly the old king said, " In writing, it must be then we agree."

The young one then says, " I came to the same conclusion."

Pen, ink, and parchment was called for and an hour later each had put their signatures and wax marks on the newly formed agreement. As soon as it was finished a loud screech of a dragon was heard. " Call your men to arms. If you don't hurry more will come."

The young king demanded. The local king just slowly walked onto the balcony. " Gentlemen may I present my kingdoms greatest secret."

They all go to the balcony and see a dragon diving right for them. They were starting to turn as another dragon at least twice the other size slammed the other into the courtyard hard. Moments later the smaller dragons head was crushed by the larger's mighty jaws. Then he put a claw into its chest bringing out a still-beating heart. He brought it with him as he moved to the balcony and slightly bowed before saying, " My Liege his still-beating heart."

He drops it into his king's hands. " I have heard that if eaten by your kind while it still beats brings temporary youthfulness and extreme fertility."

The dragon moves back as he watches his king take a tough bite of the still-beating heart then pass it to the old man beside him. Which takes a bite as well cautiously and passes it to the child who also takes a bite before it stops beating. The dragon steps forward again. " They know now I am healed. In two thousand years, they have never tried to attack the city. They must know the end is coming for them."

He looks at the two stewards who were, for the first time in a century, working together to quickly craft a restraint spell. " Unnecessary, uncalled for, and useless. I am older than your master's, master's, master's, master. Such a spell will only annoy me."

He then backs up and took to the air, taking the dead dragon with him. Then the local king said, "Gentlemen now you know why my kingdom is called the land of the dragon."