Chapter 123 - End

I became a little nervous at that. My “coincidental” white-haired appearance had been a point that Elder Kronos also had commented on during the last five months. It wasn't too strange, since some other dragons also had white-hair, and the human appearances of dragons were mostly random, only sometime reflecting the nature of our elements and personality.

None of the dragons also knew of Navra's ability to transform into possibly anything and anyone he liked. Navra's human form, to the dragons, was of a tall white-haired man with ancient, brown eyes.

Due to the slow and clear-cut deliberateness of the words of Elder Thorne, every dragon, except for the Elders, strained their necks to stare at me. Those thirty pairs of intense eyes of various colors felt overpowering when combined—I even felt somewhat taken aback, though I did not show it outwardly.

Whispers and mutters went through the thirty dragons like a flash of lightning. They were loud enough that I even heard the nearby ones declaring to each other that they would humiliatingly defeat me in the tournament.

To become the center of attention was a disadvantageous position. All eyes would be estimating and measuring my strength, looking for any weaknesses.

'It looks like every one of these dragons except the ones in your team want to sully you,” Seraphine commented from inside my mind.

'You sure are popular,' she continued in a fiery, sing-song voice. It was strange hearing that.

'Why is it that you only speak to me during these times?' I half-sighed in almost-exasperation at the Lesser Fire Elemental.

'Because it's more fun that way!'

'Hah, you sure are passionate about that.'

Seraphine retreated back into Animus after that; the Lesser Fire Elemental was most likely comforting me, I thought to myself...even though I didn't need such comforting. Hah.

“Enough staring. It is unbecoming of dragons who are nearing their third tribulations,” Elder Thorne finally said with calculated timing. He was one I would have to watch out for. There was a look of hidden cunning and playfulness to the Scorchgrasp Elder dragon.

“Elders, may I be the spokesdragon for us?”

“Of course, Elder Thorne,” a female Elder from the Brismar clan said in a light, amiable voice. “You are the most senior of all the Elders, after all, not to mention, we are near the heart of the Scorchgrasp territory.”

There were consenting nods from the other Elders.

“In two days, young dragon participants, the one hundred and fourth Inter-clan Tournament will start. In these two days before the start of the tournament, all of you will be free to do whatever you like, so long as you stay within this area. In these two days, interested dragons from all the seven major Astlan dragon clans, and perhaps even dragons from the minor clans, will be arriving early morning tomorrow. All thirty five of you shall display the might of your clan and the prowess of your generation.”

Elder Thorne paused, as if waiting for a cue. The cue was soon answered.

All thirty five dragons, including me, shouted a battle-cry, roaring with our transformed dragon chords. Our combined roars shook the ground and the very air, and had there been any birds flying overhead us, or animals around us, they would have no doubt already run away in fear.

Dragons were one of the Greater Races. We were the predators, but not just any predators—we were the apex predators, the highest of the highest. Not one animal could challenge us for the throne of being the top carnivore—not even the other Greater Races.

(By the way, the roaring was a part of the initial ceremony, which Elder Kronos had coached us on, so I had no choice but to participate in this tedious thing).

Elder Thorne held out a hand, and we all stopped our roaring, which had been continuing for quite some time. “The seven of us shall serve as the judges of the Inter-clan Tournament and a few of the Eldests of our clans may even come to watch. Our king, by the way, will also be here to watch all thirty-five of you. It seems he has a gift for the winning team, and the strongest individual dragon.”

A silent fell upon Elder Thorne, and as if an invisible cue had been lit up, all seven of the Elder dragons started in one great, powerful voice, almost similar to the time during the crowning of the second Astlan Dragon King. “May the fire always burn,” all seven Elders spoke in one united voice, which resounded throughout the whole colosseum and perhaps even further out.

No doubt, had there been any animals in the vicinity, they would have all froze in fear.

Then all seven Elders teleported out of the arena, leaving the thirty-five of us alone...without supervision. Tight-knit groups instantly formed up, five dragons in each group from a clan.

Most of the dragons in these groups were all measuring me, watching me closely.

From one of these groups, a tall male dragon with a lazy expression and half-closed eyes, which still looked piercing despite its half-closed state, walked up to me. I instantly recognized him, his dark black hair and yellow eyes, especially his expression. He was Izara of the Casmaw clan, the violet dragon who had attacked me out of nowhere a few months ago.

Mutters flashed across some of the dragons in the other clans. “It's Izara,” I heard a few of the whispers say.

“Would you care for a small spar, oh black dragon?” Izara asked with a lazy, half-crooked smile. “The Elders did say we could do anything in these two days, and the spectating dragons will be arriving tomorrow.”

I narrowed my eyes at the violet dragon. “No, I do not care for a spar with you.”

“Where is your pride, black dragon. Where is your fire, Verath?” Izara said in a slight, yet lazy provocative tone.

“Why don't you leave that unwilling black dragon alone, and spar with me instead,” a voice called out.

“Tch,” Izara said, turning around to face the voice, which had come from a tall male with pink hair. “Do you really want to lose that bad, Kaiser of Dulanon clan?”

“You shouldn't go deciding the outcome before the match even starts,” Kaiser said with a large grin on his somewhat feminine face, though it was more handsome than beautiful. His slightly pointed ears and pink hair, however, was off-putting.

Izara laughed out loud a little. “The day I lose to a pink dragon of the Dulanon clan is the day I cut off my two horns.”

I was somewhat amused in my mind at having my suspicion confirmed. Pink hair, from what I had been told, was an intrinsic and unique sign of the pink dragons which were only seen in the Dulanon clan.

“Color is nothing, you know,” Kaiser only replied with a shrug.

I almost felt bad for the dragon. Being a pink dragon as a male must have been hard on him.

I had to admit, however, that I was more amused than pitiful for the pink dragon. Imagine! A pink-colored dragon. The irony.

“AHAHAH!” Izara deliberately laughed loudly. “I can never take you seriously, Kaiser! But if you really want to go at it with me, then I will gladly oblige!”

Magic of a violet color poured out of Izara and shrouded him.

At the same time, magic of a slightly lighter shade of red poured out of Kaiser, likewise shrouding him.

“Virdus Terram-Glacia-Incentia!”

Dragon Earth-Ice-Fire Armor!

“Virdus Arcanum!”

Dragon Arcane Armor!

Every pair of eyes in the arena turned instantly interested at this sudden breakout of a fight.

“I shall go easy on you, Kiaser. I will only limit myself to three elements!” Izara said in a lazy voice.

I could not tell what expression he was making due to his back turned to me. I knew, however, that I would be closely watching their spar.

They were both idiots for displaying their power before the tournament would even start. And not to mention, these two were part of the most favored candidates to win the tournament.

By the way, I wasn't included in this list of favored candidates due to not many dragons knowing about me.

“I can say the same for you, Izara!” Kaiser said, putting a hand through his short, spiky pink hair.