Chapter 115 - Leader of the Team

There wasn't initially much to the week Kiara, Eden, and I had before the Inter-clan tournament would start. The first four days, we just continued training, but I could feel the tension in the air. It was like the calm before the firestorm.

The fifth, day, however, was when things started. We were out in the training valley like any other usual day, waiting for Elder Kronos to pop up. When he did pop up, it was with the other three Elders of our Arkanan clan, and the two other dragons in our team.

The order of age in our dragon clan for the five oldest dragons went like this; Navra being the oldest, Kronos the second oldest, then Nea, Loaen, and Taneris.

Teleportation magic made life simple. It was an Ancient magic I would have dearly liked to learn. I would have even been willing to give up my dragon tail for it. But sadly enough, I did not have the inborn-talent nor the power to learn it yet. As Navra had put it, I was “pitifully weak.”

The other two dragons in our team was a brown-colored dragon and a blue-colored dragon, the former being a male and the latter a female. With Eden, Kiara, and I added to the equation, the five of us made up the Arkanan representative team.

“The two of you could have just left the task of bringing these five young dragons up to Taneris and I,” Elder Kronos said.

“It's fine, Elder Kronos. Loaen and I, of course, believe in your strength and Taneris' strength, but we just wanted to see what the young dragons look like,” said Elder Nea. She was the only female Elder in our clan, and was around 1524 years old if I remember what Navra and Elder Kronos told me.

“Hmm, if you say so, young Nea.”

“Stop calling me young, Kronos!” Elder Nea said with a pout on her face. “I am the second oldest Elder in our clan, you know. It's high time you stop calling me young. It's been more than a thousand years since I stopped followed you around like a newborn chick.”

Elder Kronos revealed a smile that was unlike his usual strict demeanor. “You will always be a brat to me. I have about a hundred years of age on you.”

Elder Nea sniffed a little at that. “Compared to what? A thousand years?”

“Now, now. Stop flirting, you both. I can't bear to watch the two of you go at each other like love-struck dragons in mating season,” Elder Loaen said with a small smile.

“This isn't flirting! And mating season is far away, Loaen, about sixteen years away in fact,” Elder Nea retorted.

“Ahem,” Elder Taneris said with a cough. “Shall we get back to the task at hand? I do believe we are making an unsightly display.”

A semblance of order soon returned, and the five of us were lined up before the four Elder dragons. Eden had a look of fierce determination while Kiara was calm like me. Likewise, the other two new dragons were calm, but standing stiffly straight. All of us were wearing tight-fitting, string-tied, black leather vests and pants with the symbol of our Arkanan clan, which was an orange fire wrapped around a red tear. It was no wonder when I had first visited Navra's chambers that I saw this symbol on the outside of the entrance.

Supposedly, all of the dragons participating in the Inter-clan Tournament were also required to wear these black uniforms because a new rule had been implemented by Navra. None of the dragons would be allowed to fight in their dragon forms. Since none of the participants were allowed to fight in their dragon forms, there was a need to issue uniforms to all the participants—

Fighting would just not be taken seriously if all the opponents were naked and their human parts were out dangling. It was quite an amusing image, really.

On a serious note, I was thankful that Navra had used his influence and position to implement this new rule, because fully transforming into a dragon would weaken the blood seal Navra had drawn on my stomach to suppress the influence of the two souls inside me.

Demon Lord Codrixas had easily broken out of his resealing just a month after Efari's death. This was because Codrixas already had a large influence and I was tainted with demon magic, which allowed me to use The Flames of Interitum, or the black flames.

On the other hand, the Deathwalker did not have much influence on me, so the seal on him was still strong and would last for about six months more. It was why the Deathwalker did not have his own territory along with Seraphine and Codrixas inside Animus. He was just a faint presence inside my Animus.

“Hmm, so this is the five dragons who are going to represent our clan,” Elder Nea said in a contemplating voice, her eyes of a shocking blue meeting each and every one of our eyes. “Not half-bad,” she finally said after a moment of silence.

“I suggest that we choose a leader for the team,” Elder Taneris said in a frigid voice. With black hair and piercing grey eyes, Elder Taneris looked to be a cold and intelligent persona. Had he been wearing glasses, he would have definitely fit the sage character in the stories I read as a child. Except that sage would look to be around his late twenties and would have a cold, collected expression.

“I agree with you there, Taneris,” Elder Kronos said. “Let us both choose a candidate from the ones we have trained.” The Elder turned to stare at me. “Come forth, Verath. I think you will serve suitably as the leader.”

“Xalanth,” Elder Taneris said.

Hearing his name called, I noticed Xalanth, the other male dragon on our team, stand taller and even more stiffly. No doubt, Elder Taneris had distilled an overbearing discipline in the dragon.

“So, Taneris, how shall we choose between the two dragons?” Elder Kronos asked.

“I leave it to you to decide, Elder Kronos. You are my senior, and much more wiser and powerful than me, the youngest Elder.”

“Shall we say a duel then? The valley will serve as a perfect place for that.”

“Agreed.”

“Well, this is certainly interesting,” Elder Nea said with an amused smile, looking back and forth at Elder Kronos and Elder Taneris. It made me believe there was some sort of rivalry between the two dragons. “I had not expected to see a display of power from our young representatives, let alone a practical duel. I suppose it shall serve well one way or another.”

“Why not, indeed. It should be fun to see some young blood go at it,” Elder Loaen commented.

As both Xalanth and I formed up a fifteen feet distance between the two of us, Eden and Kiara gave me encouraging looks. Having trained with me for about six months, the two of them were confident in my abilities. They had seen firsthand of my abilities, after all.

Carefully, I observed my opponent while the Elders and the three young dragons watched from the sidelines. My opponent looked to be around twenty years old or so with solid brown hair and solid brown eyes. His appearance, in those aspects, was expected since I myself looked about the same age as him in my human form.

What was unexpected, however, was his height and kind-looking face. He was tall, much taller than me. I estimated his height to be at least six feet and a half. Combined with his solid, muscular frame, Xalanth had a curious appearance.

A freakish saint like in the stories and like those religious angel figures. His face gave off a motherly aura of warmth, which was extremely disconcerting for a dragon.

Amusing, really.

“I shall act as a judge for this match,” Elder Kronos said. “You may start now.”

As soon as he said those words, I began my magic. I had already decided to use an initial magic attack to test out the strength of my opponent. But first, I would need to armor myself.

Virdus Vict Sangius.