The border was a monstrously thick 400 foot wall. On the other side of it a plot land was connected to the eastern continent, ruled entirely by the Lin Ti empire.
From the skies, Vaylor could see the giant pagodas pairing well with modern-day contemporary structures. Similar to the Draconian island, there were various soldiers and border patrol officers directing slaves to underground mines where Lin Ti itself was constructing strongholds.
The dragons descended in front of the wall, where a giant metallic door—worked into the wall—separated Draconian Soil from Lin Ti soil.
Vorax had almost crushed one of the buildings that surrounded them, the dragons didn't care to take things who were not their masters into consideration.
As the groups got off the dragons, a myriad of border guards had approached them. Some were dragging along insubordinate slaves, while the others jeered at the caged-up tamerless who were still quivering at the sight of the dragons.
"Who is in charge here?" Aldrid demanded, his eyes darting about the place.
"I am, Your Grace!" Said a stocky man. He came running towards him with his heart in his throat, and threw himself at his feet in what Vaylor found to be a disgusting example of obsequiousness.
"What are the conditions of the mines?"
"We have yet to get through all of the rubble, Your Grace." The man shivered.
"What!? That is absurd! How? Where are the beasts? Are you not tamers? Summon them!" Aldrid raged.
"Relax, Aldrid. I'm sure they have reasons." Lord Bryteburn said, placing a hand on Aldrid's shoulder.
"Yes, yes! Reasons!" Said the stocky man, wiping sweat from his brown brow. He cleared his throat and then went on. "You see, we summoned many of our beasts around the mines to help excavate the rubble. But…they refused."
"Refused?" Vaylor said, raising a brow.
"Aye, what do you mean they refused? Are the beasts not under their master's control? You tamed them, did you all not?" Ruwyn said.
"Such is the case, sir. But based on what we've seen, they're acting like that is not the case. It's as if something is frightening them."
Aldrid cursed under his breath. "Vaylor, see to this madness while we confront these easterners. I haven't the time for this. You too, paladins. Go!"
"I will come with," Ruwyn said, motioning to trail after the paladins.
"No. You will stay with us." Aldrid groaned, pulling the agent back by his arm.
"But—"
"We need you here, as does the emperor." Lord Bryteburn cut him off. "I will have my son stay back too, if that's alright with you." Lord Bryteburn said, turning to Aldrid.
"Eh, why?" Aldrid complained.
"In the distant future he is sure to be a Lord. He must learn how a Lord deals with the foreigners in times of peace."
And so, with that, Rannel stayed behind with his father, the hot-tempered king, and the smiling agent.
The stocky man, whose bald head was shining under the light of the moon, beckoned them through a make-shift village that had been raised in order to allow the tamerless a moment of respite.
"Go, Blackwing." Vaylor said, not willing to see the beast trample on the empire's work. For, within the village, there were fortresses raised up from the ground that had secret passageways leading to the mines. Many tamers and tamerless would be taken underground where they'd be lying in wait in preparation for the war.
Many of the tamerless looked at them in awe, they looked like shining heroes donning their beautiful dragon armour. But the slaves knew better. The fathers and mothers quickly shoved their children into dilapidated homes, some of the children hid their faces behind their mother's skirts, and their lively chatter had died in the presence of the paladins.
Something else that Vaylor had noticed, was the dark expressions that had even found their way on the face of the children. There was a squalid child scraping two rocks together, her bruised eye and cut lip spoke of the violence that the tamers had made her suffer.
Vaylor stared at the child for a moment, and it seemed that the girl had felt his crimson eyes upon her dirty skin. All Vaylor saw was hatred dancing in her azure-blue eyes. Hatred! So much unprecedented hatred.
Had Alix felt the same way? No, the boy likely still does. One never forgets the men that wronged their people.
"Just through here," the stocky man said, now taking them to the construction sight. There were newly built strongholds in place of the ones that had been destroyed.
New guards and slaves had taken the places of the men and women who were destroyed, too.
"Thank The Voice! I felt like I was going to suffocate just walking through that place." Syndney sighed with relief.
"Aye, it's never pleasant walking among the tamerless. But it is much less pleasant walking through their homes." Joris said.
"I don't know," Solores shrugged. "All I feel is pity."
And all I feel is excitement. Just what did that worm tamer want with the rubble?
Vaylor recalled his entire conversation with Alix as a wide grin contorted his face. The unknown never ceased to please him. The man had spent 600 long years on earth after all, one is bound to become bored with life after living for so long.
Up ahead, Vaylor beheld a giant pile of rocks and mounds that had bloomed out from the destruction. A product of the worm tamer's power. Just who was this eerie figure?
"All of you stay here, I mean to go alone." Vaylor said. The stocky man was quick to obey, but the paladins only complained.
"But His Grace told us to go with you!" Syndney exclaimed. "That's not fair, Vaylor!"
"That's Lord Vaylor to you," Solores scowled, quick to remind her. "But I am in agreement, my lord."
"As am I." Said Joris Wynehart, nodding his head in support. "Let us come with."
"No." Vaylor said, shaking his head as jet-black wings sprouted out from his back and phased through his armour. "Help around the construction sight, I mean to go alone."
The paladins swallowed their complaints and walked off—though Sydney had actually stormed off, looked back, and almost gave Vaylor the finger until she thought better of it.
Vaylor flew above the sea of rubble. Seeing nothing wrong, he reached to scratch his head but remembered the helm that covered it. He remembered something else, too.
What had that man said? The beasts were disobedient? Frightened? Nonsense.
"Summon Blackwing."
Blackwing appeared once again, dark and menacing as he always was. With the mental link that was shared between them, Vaylor ordered him to sniff out the place.
But…the dragon refused, creeping away from where he had been summoned.
Vaylor had processed another order, demanding that Blackwing scout ahead for nothing in particular. It was merely a test.
Blackwing, once again, refused.
"What's wrong with you, boy?" Vaylor said, his eyes narrowed.
Taking a bold risk, Vaylor had demanded Blackwing to use one of his most powerful abilities. Blackwing was an impulsive dragon who relished in seeing the destruction it caused. 'Red Flames' was it and Vaylor's favourite ability.
But Blackwing refused to listen to that, too.
"Process Blackwing's emotions." Vaylor grumbled.
[Processing Blackwing's Emotions]
[Please Wait Patiently]
Let's see what you're feeling old friend.
After a few seconds, The Voice returned with words that came like a whip against Vaylor's skull.
[Blackwing Is Feeling Fear]
What!?
What did the ancient beast have to be fearful of? There was nothing for nigh on miles—nothing but rocks.
Sighing, Vaylor looked through his natural attributes until his eyes landed on the one he needed most in this situation.
[Keen Sense]
-Regardless of air, liquid, or earth—the tamer is able to possess an incredibly developed sense of smell in any environment. They are able to locate anything from up to 100-200 miles away. This olfactory sense is the greatest within the animal kingdom.
Vaylor followed this scent for what felt like hours, leaving Blackwing behind. He came to a stop near a cluster of rocks where strange mucus had covered their surfaces.
As he utilised the ability, Vaylor was assailed by a thousand scents—some so revolting that they had almost dragged him to his knees, where he would brace himself for the vile liquid that would escape his maw.
There was one in particular that had stood out to him. It was the stench of body odour belonging to a teenage boy that hadn't experienced the grace of a shower in months.
No doubt, this was the place Alix Vineyard had crawled out of. Or, rather, slid his way out of.
Below the rocks, Vaylor could smell something strange.It smelt…poisonous. Whatever it was, it was strangling the air with its strange scent and drying Vaylor's throat like an incorporeal towel.
Is this why Blackwing stayed away? No, that can't be. I would've sensed it back there, too. Was the scent hidden from me? How could that even be?
The Bryteburn dragons should've smelled it too, Vaylor pondered. With an idea in mind, Vaylor backed away from the mucus and made a beeline towards Blackwing.
It's gone. The scent is gone.
The revelation had caught his legs as well as his interest, immediately stopping him where he stood. Vaylor turned around and walked back to the mucus, where the same cloud of poison bombarded his nostrils.
Vaylor hypothesised that, the closer one got to the area, the stronger the scent would become in order to scare off trespassers.
But if that's the case, why didn't I notice it all the way back there but Blackwing did?
But then, Vaylor realised something. Even with the keen sense ability, he still couldn't make out the smell from a certain distance. It was as if it was hiding from him, and only appearing when Vaylor got too close.
There's something intelligent below these rocks. Something that's afraid of me, though not too afraid to ward me off should I get too close.
With that conclusion, Vaylor scanned through his evolutionary attributes, and picked two that would allow him to peer into the world below.
[Meteor Downfall]
-The tamer is able to alter their gravity, and the gravity of inanimate objects around them to mimic a falling meteor.
[Heat Step]
-The lightest tread will turn the soil into a scalding bath, and burn the unfortunate souls within it.
Below his feet, the rocks began to boil, bubble, and liquefy. Vaylor dispersed his wings and began falling through the liquid. He could hear his armour groaning in pain, but the dragon lord paid it no mind.
It became a nuisance when it began to warp and claw into his skin, however. And so Vaylor used another evolutionary attribute that enveloped and protected the armour with cold flames—'Flame Malleability.'
The falling went on for quite a few minutes, and Vaylor was becoming bored with it all.
Who am I fooling? There's nothing down here.
But fate would soon prove him wrong. Vaylor had crashed into a hard surface, which should've been impossible due to Heat Step.
What did I just land on?
Summoning his windows, bright red light washed away the murky darkness. There, Vaylor saw it, the body of a gargantuan create unphased by his attributes. With his wings, Vaylor flew up to get a better look, his illuminating windows dancing around him.
Oh, so that's what was hiding here, eh?
A colossal worm was crawling below him, painted in the bright light of his windows, and producing a stench so noisome that a sensitive Lord Vaylor was forced to flee.
Just wait till you hear about this, Alix!