“That does sound like a decent strategic advantage,” Silvia agreed with her.

  Althea raised a finger. “Just be aware that while different from other peerages, this is also the greatest weakness for you.”

  “How so?” Bryn furrowed her brows in confusion.

  “While for most True Dragons, the members of their peerage are quite expendable, that isn’t the case for you.” Ast’s mentor sent him a warm smile. “You are a group that would fight for each other’s lives. While stronger than most peerages, you can still become a target for your enemies to hurt your master if they learn about those sentiments. I can imagine he wouldn’t take lightly to the death of any of you. Another True Dragon would at best feel furious that someone dared to take what’s theirs, effectively depriving them of their possession.”

  “They really are total jerks, aren’t they?” Asterios sighed heavily. “Do True Dragons even fall in love? Doesn’t sound like something they are capable of.”

  “It does happen from time to time.” Althea let out a quiet snort to the side. “It mostly unveils itself in the form of dominated females falling for the males who conquered them. Rarely the one in power develops anything deeper for those below them. It’s usually the need to make something or someone theirs. There is a reason why hoards are associated so strongly with True Dragons.”

  “Many Pantherkin females want to find males who are stronger than them so that they can find the right person to submit to, but it’s never this… wicked.” Miria shook her head with her ears lowered. “Those in power are expected to care for their mates, even if they can be a bit rough with that. But no one seeks others to own them this maliciously. Usually.”

  “We don’t need to understand.” Asterios reached out to stroke her adorable ears. “Let’s simply focus on those aspects of draconic culture that apply to us. It’s their loss if they are going to miss out on so much affection they could possibly get from their lovers.”

  She began purring quietly as her mood slowly improved. No one else said anything as it was fairly obvious that they all agreed with the duo.

  “Nevertheless, I will need to study your bodies and spiritual circuits more to further understand what exactly is happening to all of you thanks to how open and close you are with each other.” Althea wisely changed the topic. “Taking lesser species and races as True Mates is just that rare. I hope you won’t mind that.”

  “We’ll gladly work with you if it’s going to make us and my Lord stronger.” Selene accepted the offer right away, speaking for them all as it seemed.

  “An excellent choice. Especially with how quickly his presence is growing.” The female Lesser Dragon nodded to herself.

  “That’s actually another thing I was going to ask about at some point,” Asterios interjected. “I had quite a few preventive measures put onto me to assure that my draconic energies don’t leak out. My parents seemed to be on the run most of the time, moving from realm to realm. With my ancestry fully unleashed and me making active use of it, am I in danger of someone somehow noticing my existence? Someone who might have been tracking them, perhaps?”

  As she mulled over his question, Althea gestured at them to follow her back into the wooden bower so they could sit down and talk comfortably. After a moment, she spoke up to answer his query.

  “First of all, you are doing a decent job at subconsciously suppressing your draconic presence. We’ll practice it more soon so that you will be able to move unrecognized by most of the quite sensitive entities. Though, naturally, it won’t matter much in front of other Dragons, both True and Lesser,” she replied. “Now, that’s partially thanks to your age and experience. Due to your mighty lineages, they would have acted like beacons with that raw, uncontrolled power seeping into your surroundings so I can understand the methods your parents chose, even if I don’t exactly support them. They were still selfish and less than appropriate methods.”

  All of the ladies seemingly agreed with that statement, nodding unanimously.

  “You don’t have to worry about someone jumping into this realm and instantly locking onto you even if you are in your True Dragon form. Even with someone who would be looking for signs of another True Dragon in this world. From what you have told me, they would be searching for your father’s signature, not yours. While certainly similar, they are still unique. You are both different members of the Crimson bloodline,” Althea explained.

  “That’s at least partially reassuring,” Silvia said. “With how scary and strong True Dragons seem to be portrayed, one could think they are able to even peer through the realms themselves.”

  “And this brings another thing into consideration here,” Asterios picked up right after her. “My ability to tear through realms.”

  “Ah, yes. We’ve been wondering if it leaves traces if Ast uses it and if it can be followed back.” Tina nodded lightly.

  “Certainly, a smart thing to worry about,” Althea complimented them. “From what I can tell, this ability can’t be sensed from far, far away. It does send a ripple through the fabric of dimensions and near both points of the passage, but all of that is more or less local. Unless either entrance opens next to someone or passes by an unfathomable entity on its way between both ends, it won’t make itself apparent.”

  “Then I should be able to train with it without looking over my shoulder each time I use it. As long as I keep the destination in mind, that is.” He chuckled in relief and some excitement.

  “That said, all spiritual energy leaves faint traces behind. If someone knows what to look for, they might understand the nature of the spell or ability that was invoked at that certain spot. Naturally, figuring out where the interdimensional breach has connected is on a whole other level. Not impossible, but improbable,” she added. “Therefore, your parents were most likely all the time on the run primarily in fear of your draconic awakening leaving the most traces behind. After ensuring that you wouldn’t awaken, leaving you alone wasn’t that much of an issue. In the end, members of humanoid races bearing some faint signs of draconic blood in them aren’t unheard of and you could have passed as one.”

  “Leaving my Lord’s hometown was a good decision, then,” Selene said. “And the other location is in Bryn’s world, deep under the ground. We are fairly safe now.”

  “It won’t remain like this forever. Especially with our plans to reveal the draconic nature of Glimmervale and Dragon Valley in the near future,” Silvia mused. “But, if we don’t want Asterios to be forced to hide and lie forever, we must grow stronger. Not just him, but all of us.”

  “I’m always training hard to be worthy of standing by Master’s side!” Miria shouted passionately, raising her fist into the air.

  “You aren’t the only one.” Selene smirked lightly as she gazed upon her arms, clearly looking at the hidden patterns beneath her sleeves.

  “We should grow Master’s forces too. Strength lies in numbers. The more allies we have, the better.” Bryn stared into the distance, most likely going through her thoughts and plans regarding her kind and not only.

  Tina smiled proudly. “That’s exactly where our own great nation comes into play. We have a good base to build on.”

  While the girls psyched themselves up, Asterios and Althea exchanged glances and he couldn’t help but chuckle wryly. His mentor shook her head gently, a somewhat amused expression on her noble face. It was clear that she was enjoying witnessing their interactions as a draconic peerage, just that much different from what she was used to.

  “We have a lot of work still to do. We shouldn’t keep wasting time here.” Silvia dragged them out of their thoughts a moment later.

  The ladies agreed with her and began standing up. One by one, they moved to Asterios to share a quick peck and some affectionate nuzzles with him before disappearing either into their own gates or into Umbra’s shadows. Soon, they were all gone, leaving just him and Althea sitting across each other.

  “You’ve found incredibly valuable mates. Treasure them.” The Dragon lady regarded him with a gentle smile.

  “I might be the luckiest True Dragon alive.” Asterios grinned proudly. “So, should we follow their example and make good use of the time we have on our hands too?”

  “That would be wise. With the threat of the new dungeon and your other responsibilities, every second is precious. Life of a Dragon Lord is never slow and simple.” She smirked impishly.

  Groaning and rolling his eyes, Asterios slumped onto the table between them. He really would need to get used to that new position of his.

  Chapter 34

  The Good and The Bad of Mentorship

  After a short while of simply lying atop the round table and contemplating his existence in silence, Asterios rose up again and glanced his mentor’s way. “What do you suggest then?”

  “We have plenty of options. It all depends on what you would like to learn more about,” Althea mused ponderingly. “But, if I was given the choice to suggest something, I think it’s a good moment for some more physical exercise again. This time with your fully draconic form.”

  “I see.” He nodded. “I did receive some instructions from Venuzathor back then but I admit I’ve been mostly following his advice to give more freedom to my instincts.”

  “And that's good advice for a new, young Dragon,” she agreed. “He must have judged your reasonable half more than satisfactory. But, if you are considering summoning a Lesser Dragon, or making your way into one of the realms where we have settled down, you might need some more practice against my kin. Just in case things turn violent. You might be strong, but your opponents would have decades of experience over you.”

  “That’s certainly true. And honestly, I’m a little curious how I would fare against you without the influence of that nasty poison.” Asterios smiled at her excitedly. “Before we move onto that though, I’ve just thought of something related to our recent lesson and I would like to ask for your input.”

  “Very well. I commend your wits and dedication. It wasn’t long before you came up with questions for me.” She smiled back, fixing her posture and turning back into an attentive teacher.

  “We talked about how my bonds and specifically my couplings change the girls slightly, making their bodies more accustomed to my energies and so on, but our group has already witnessed something similar without that intimate connection. I’m wondering what’s the relation between these two cases since the beings we met have much more pronounced features and even plainly visible bloodline influence. I’m of course talking about the Lizardkin from Miria’s and Selene’s realm, who call themselves Dragonkin and True Dragonkin,” he said.

  “Ah, yes, them.” Althea pondered briefly. “Would you mind if we revisited your memories related to those people and their history?”

  “Not in the slightest.” He shook his head and they both became deeply focused.

  For a few long minutes, Asterios shared everything with Althea once more, paying more attention to the explanation of the village chief and all the other details related to the deceased True Dragon. She had already heard and seen bits of that before but it was of no issue to delve into his past again.

  “Alright. I can see where your potential confusion might be coming from.” His mentor sighed softly. “While the effects might seem somewhat similar, the bonds in your and their case can’t be more different. I’m afraid you wouldn’t even call it a bond with your perception of such things.”

  “They were made slaves, right? Formed a contract with that Dragon. Additionally, they did receive quite significant and almost instant benefits from it. From the outside, it might even look like they have gotten more than what my mates are getting,” Asterios replied, observing her curiously.

  “They were made slaves, yes. And nothing more,” Althea stated firmly. “What bound them was no equal connection you offer to your mates. They were enslaved in the truest sense of that word. The ritual used for such a purpose is much different even from those you have been using to recruit the members of your peerage that aren’t meant to become its true members. It’s more serious and definitely more vile.”

  Since it looked like she was considering her wording or even the very notion of explaining it to him, Asterios gave his somewhat worried mentor all the time she needed to come to a solid decision. He was in no delusion that the older and wiser woman kept certain things to herself while teaching him. At least temporarily, until he proved himself enough to thwart her inner anxiety. She might have joined him, but it wasn’t so easy to discard years of fear and bad experiences.

  It didn’t take long before Althea met his eyes with a resolved gaze. “I guess it would be smart for you to know how those things work so as not to be surprised by a future encounter. That Dragon lured those people into submitting themselves to him fully, bodies and souls. Through that ritual, he became the owner of their lives while mercifully granting them the position of a slave. He basically remodeled them with his flames into the perfect puppets that could be snuffed out with a snap of his fingers.”

  “Damn. That sounds quite harsh. With the way I take slaves, they can at least try to resist my influence, right?” he asked concernedly.

  “Yes. And even a bit more thanks to your kind nature.” She nodded. “But, back to them. With the assurance that they wouldn’t even be able to think of betraying him, pretty much brainwashed too, that Dragon also chose to alter their very essence with his own. He did not share it with them like you do, oh no, he took his and used it to force theirs to change like a potter playing with wet clay. They gained a bunch of benefits almost instantly, but at what cost? All the future generations were now fated to be born the same way, unable to do anything about that. You have seen yourself how desperate it has made those Lizardkin after their lord passed away. They were slowly losing their sanity until you came.”

  “What about my children?” Asterios frowned lightly. “I know it’s a bit different but will I have any effect on them? And then on their children?”

  “Oh, yes, certainly.” Althea chuckled warmly. “But it will be up to you if you want to pass on your draconic heritage to your successors or only let a small part of it enhance them as they assume their mother’s ancestry instead. Nothing as bad as you might imagine. No special ways to control them besides your pure draconic might, which you might have experienced a bit through your father’s echo. And if you choose the latter, the effects will gradually fade with each generation, though decently slow, of course, as your blood gets more diluted.”

  “That might explain why Red was so unhappy about my birth. Kaguya must have convinced him to give her a real baby rather than an enhanced version of hers. That led to the accident with his Hearts, which might have not happened if not for that. I might be an accident in some sense too.” He snickered while shaking his head.

  “In any way, that’s related to the situation where you father children with your mates personally. To make the comparison more accurate, let’s assume you would bind another community to yourself like you did with the Lizardkin, but without any prior draconic influence over them,” she continued. “With the way you form the contract, their descendants will be able to receive some minor boons along the way, but they won’t be too significant, and you won’t be able to exert the same mental influence over them as that Dragon. They will have a choice to remain under you or strike it out on their own. However, most if not all won’t do that due to the potential losses accompanying such a decision. And it’s quite obvious that their parents are going to raise them with a quite idolized image of you.”

  “I see. That does clear it up a bit.” Asterios nodded to himself. “I don’t think I would ever want to literally change someone from their very core and ensure that I have full control over their death if they think about defying my word. But, with all that, it also means I could technically use part of that ritual to positively alter people without that lethal rule, no?”

  “Possibly, but that’s extremely dangerous. Those gifts could be turned against you, even if not fully consciously. You might not want to brainwash your subjects but your enemies will not be as reserved, potentially forcing you to face your own people with no other option than to cull them down,” Althea warned him. “The other Dragon would simply snap their fingers and end them all at once, getting rid of the problem once and for all. You won’t have such a failsafe in your hands. A great boon like this shouldn’t be offered to many as it might paint a target on their backs.”

  “Of course. I was simply speculating. Thanks for your advice.” He lowered his head slightly.

  “I shall fill you in on the details of that ritual in a bit. I trust you won’t abuse that knowledge. Even if I can’t exactly demand or force you to act a certain way, it is my duty as your mentor to do whatever I can to ensure that you remain faithful to our chosen path.” She smiled wistfully.

  “It might not be more than a verbal vow, but I promise to be the best disciple I can.” Asterios tried to reassure the emerald-haired lady a little. “Though, would you perhaps mind telling me more about that? The whole mentor-disciple thing amongst your people. You did honor me with your scale back during the festivities and it made me quite curious. As long as it’s not too early, of course.”

  He still remembered the faint pain and melancholy in her eyes after he’d asked about her own mentor and Asterios didn’t want to be too forceful in pursuing that topic. It definitely was at least a slightly sensitive spot for his teacher.

  “I wouldn’t. I did promise to be the best mentor for you too, didn’t I?” Althea showed the tiniest smirk on her gentle face. “As you might have guessed from my earlier mention of sleeping piles, our communities are quite socially open. True Dragons often prefer seclusion, tolerating the presence of the family they started within their personal lairs. Lesser Dragons prefer to form big communities we sometimes call nests. As you can imagine, strength in numbers does play quite a big role in that decision.”