Chapter 227 The Dragonkin Tribe

The Dragonkin scouts trod carefully, ensuring they observed their surroundings as they headed back to their base.

Something about the eerie silence of the night, as well as the ominous chill, made it seem like they were being watched—at least, according to the leader of their group.

"Pick up the pace guys. We need to report our findings to the Tribe Leader." Sirius stated to his followers.

He had gleaming blue scales and matching blue eyes. Something about his expression indicated he was worried, but also in a hurry. The twenty dragonkin warriors with him nodded in response to his instructions, and they swiftly moved into the night.

Before long, they arrived at their destination—the base of operations for their current plan.

"You should all rest. Lydia, come with me. We will both report our findings to the Leader." Sirius glanced at the lady dragonkin closest to him.

Unlike him, her scale was light blue, and she had a much smaller, leaner build. Female dragonkins usually had less mass than the males—though there were a few exceptions.

Even in the group, there were nine female dragonkin warriors, and they all had smaller figures compared to the men. Regardless, the males and females had mutual respect for one another. They were all warriors—only separated by roles or hierarchy.

"Understood." Lydia nodded and quickened her steps, drawing closer to Sirius.

The group finally got past a clearing of shrubs, navigating through the magically created wall of plants, which shrouded their hide-out. Anyone flying overhead would be able to spot them, but with their constant surveillance, he didn't think anyone within close proximity could escape their watchful eyes.

Their mission was of utmost importance, after all.

Once they got past the plants, the group found themselves in their camp. They saluted the vigilant guards and marched on with purposeful expressions on their faces. They were the brave ones, after all—soldiers who had volunteered to act as scouts despite the danger.

Sirius sighed resolutely, observing his surroundings with a grave expression. Having a few dozen tents—each having the capacity to hold five dragonkins—the clearing surrounded by tall shrubs was similar to a battle camp.

A few battle hardened dragonkins could be seen walking around, but Sirius understood that most were either enjoying their meals, or mating with their partners. In such a season, it was understandable—especially considering the uncertain fates they would be facing the next day.

'Even I…' He glanced at Lydia for a moment before swallowing anxiously.

Lydia was his lover, and he had never wanted her to be a part of the drafted warriors. However, due to her defiant nature—one that made her even more appealing to him—she had enlisted regardless of his pleas. As such, both their fates were uncertain.

'We're still young. We have no young ones yet.' Sirius quickly shook the thoughts off his mind, deciding to focus instead on the mission at hand.

The group split up according to Sirius' command. He and Lydia walked in a straight line, heading for the biggest tent in the garden of tents, while everyone else went in their respective directions. The dragonkin scattered.

"They must be tired." Sirius whispered, considering just how long the warriors had been watching the nest and doing their best to survey every nook and cranny while ensuring they remained concealed.

All of this while they were still exhausted from their journey to this point and the harsh training they had to endure for the coming crisis. It was frankly too much, and Sirius couldn't help but feel empathetic towards them.

He was the strongest warrior in the tribe—other than their leader, of course—and even he could feel the weariness that resulted from the lack of rest.

"You'll need a massage after all of this." Lydia whispered in his ear, pressing her body against his as they walked toward their destination.

"L-Lydia not here! Out in the open… you…" Sirius whispered, quickly looking around to ensure no one had seen what just happened.

Fortunately, everyone was too preoccupied with their troubles to care about the personal affairs of Sirius. Usually, a bigshot like him would garner so much attention, but at the moment, well… there were more important matters to consider.

"Hmm, I see. So you don't want one?"

"I-I didn't say that." Sirius cursed his weakness as he grunted.

Lydia knew fully well just how to get him to surrender. As strong as he was as a warrior, he was still a male. Among the dragonkins, there was a saying;

The size of the male does not serve only to prove his strength, but also his weakness.

That statement rang true for Sirius, and so he could do nothing but keep walking as Lydia kept pressing her enormous chest to his body. Of course, by dragonkin standards, Lydia's boobs were pretty average. However…

For Sirius, they were the perfect size.

"Is a massage all you want?" She asked him, whispering seductively in his ear, and Sirius could already feel his three-pronged trident rise.

Dragonkins had a special biological make-up, one of which was the male 'equipment' used for copulation. Sirius could feel all three of his ding-dongs responding to the call of nature, and he could not allow something so shameful occur in public.

He knew, of course, that many female dragonkins desired him. Seeing the sheer magnitude and number of his rods would make them want him even more. Polygamy wasn't condemned in their culture either, but his hands were already full with Lydia.

'I… I can't lose control here.'

At this point, Sirius could only think of one solution to his problem. He saw only one light from this very bleak tunnel. It was—

"Let's quicken our pace. The Tribe leader awaaaaiiiitttssss!!!"

—TO RUN!

Sirius picked up his pace and fled to the leader's tents, and coming after him quickly from behind was his lover. She also quickened her pace, causing her melons to jiggle, illustrating the simple laws of physics—not that knowledge of said law existed in this world.

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"I see…" A female voice spoke up from the commander's seat.

It belonged to the Tribe Leader—the strongest beastkin in their tribe. No, it was more accurate to say she was the most powerful even among the surrounding ones.

So strong, in fact, that she dared to challenge the Dragon Nest.

"Yes. As I mentioned, the defenses are going to be very difficult to bypass. The Magic Barrier that surrounds the nest prevents any stealth approach, and it would take a great deal of energy to destroy it."

Sirius was currently kneeling in front of the leader, bowing before her magnificence—same as Lydia. Unlike his lover, though, he was facing the floor.

It wasn't compulsory to do this, but despite everyone telling this to him, Sirius couldn't help it. He had his reasons for refusing to stare at his esteemed leader whenever he was in her presence.

"You don't need to bow your head, you know?"

"Y-yes, I understand. I'm good like this, though."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, leader."

"Alright then. You may carry on with your report." She sighed.

Sirius was grateful for her understanding. Even though he didn't want his preference to be that big an issue, he couldn't stop this action of his. After all…

'I fear what might happen if I look upon her!' As a result of this fear of his, Sirius preferred to remain in his current state.

"The Nest distorts the proper view of the premises, but I spot only six dragons within the premises. There appears to be a multitude of eggs, though."

"Was there a male?"

"None that was observed—at least not an adult one."

It was difficult to discern the sex of a dragon unless they had attained a certain age—the age of maturity. Once their distinguishing features clearly established them as either sex, the dragon could then be said to be an adult.

"Only four females, and then one immature one."

"And their strength?"

"One possesses a level of 150, while the other females have Levels of around 101-105. As for the immature one, he has a Level of 50."

Sirius and his scouts had to use a joint ritual, as well as an ancient artifact, to decipher the Levels of the dragons. It was a steep price to pay, but very much worth it. After all, they needed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.

"Hmmm…"

Sirius knew just from her tone that the Tribe Leader found the current situation challenging. The average dragonkin warrior in their tribe had a Level of 50. Their leader was an exceptional warrior—one who was blessed by the gods they worshiped.

She was at Level 120, but compared to the base difference between dragonkins and dragons, as well as the biological advantage their opponents had, it became clear which side was on the losing end.

Their powerful leader, even at her best, would struggle to evenly match the strength of one of the younger female dragons. No, it was doubtful if she could win.

That was how dreadful the situation was.

"This is a dire situation indeed. Our people require a miracle. However, we can not back out now. With all that is at stake, we need to keep moving forward."

Sirius knew quite well what his Tribe Leader meant.

The dragons were occupying their rightful land, and they needed the resource deposits underneath the land. Besides, with winter approaching, they knew their odds of surviving outside their fertile land were little to none.

This impending clash with the dragons was necessary!

"We must win this battle, or die trying!"

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[A/N]

Sorry if I diverted the story a little bit. Hope you enjoyed this perspective, though.