Slumber

Cassius instructed Langpu to cast several Glyph of Warding spells at the entrance of the cave. Any unauthorized creature foolish enough to trespass would suffer the blast of the exploding runes. Once the spells were triggered, the intruders would be engulfed in fire, lightning, and acid. He also arranged for his vassals to guard the entrance in shifts. In the days ahead, guards—hobgoblins, bugbears, lizardfolk, and others—would maintain an unbroken watch at the threshold, ensuring the cavern remained completely undisturbed. With all matters settled, Cassius retreated alone into the depths of Giant's Mouth Cave, his wings loosely folded against his sides. This area lay close to the magma zone. Scalding white steam drifted everywhere, the air thick with potent fire element, while boiling lava welled up from cracks in the ground. While such an environment was a realm of death to ordinary mortals, it felt exquisitely comfortable to Cassius. The scent of sulfur and pumice clinging to him grew increasingly heavy—a clear sign that the red dragon's body yearned to slumber and advance into the next age category. And a cavern steeped in magma like this was an ideal place to absorb and store elemental energy during that long sleep. All true dragons are endothermic. Given their elemental nature, they could hardly be otherwise, and those that use fire literally grow hotter with age. Unlike most endothermic creatures, dragons have no obvious way of shedding excess body heat. They do not sweat and seldom pant. Instead, fundus vessels extract heat from the bloodstream and store this energy. In a sense, then, a dragon can be considered poikilothermic, as it can utilize ambient heat sources. However, when a dragon loses an external heat source, its metabolism and activity level do not change. It does not become sluggish or forced into dormancy from exposure to cold. "It's time to slumber..." Cassius murmured, tasting the air. Ever since arriving in Elezerg, he had been relentlessly striving to increase his strength, rarely allowing himself an extended rest. A true red dragon, aside from the occasional raid to burn, pillage, and plunder, spent the rest of its life eating and sleeping. Dragons possessed immense lifespans and innate might. A dragon needed only to sleep to attain power unimaginable to ordinary beings. This made them exceedingly arrogant and exceedingly indolent. Despite their insatiable thirst for power, they rarely wasted time actively pursuing it like ordinary creatures—partly out of supreme self-confidence, and partly out of sheer disdain for mortal kind. "How can anyone imagine anything more magnificent than a dragon—the paradigm of creation?" —Bheilorveilthion, ancient red dragon. Yet it was also thanks to this indolence and arrogance that adventurers were ever able to defeat them. A dragon as industrious as Cassius was an anomaly among his kind. In a sense, such dragons were the most terrifying of all. An industrious evil dragon was capable of bringing about a worldwide catastrophe. *I wonder how long this sleep will last.* *Hopefully, when I wake, everything in Cinder Nest will still be in order.* *Still, I haven't found the demon in the mountains.* *And my actions may have already drawn the kingdom's attention. If they dispatch an army to attack...* Cassius pondered silently. He slowly lowered his massive body onto the warm ground, feeling the endless influx of subterranean energy pouring into him. *Whatever. Time to sleep.* *Without strength, everything else is just empty talk.* *Like a true dragon, I'll grow stronger through slumber.* The red dragon curled his body in the depths of the magma and slowly closed his eyes, falling asleep as a true red dragon would. Raging fire elemental energy continuously surged into his form, flowing through his fundus vessels into his beating heart and saturating every inch of his flesh and blood. Cassius's colossal frame rose and fell gently with his breathing... *** Northwind Keep. The crypt of Lakeman Castle. Shadows and silence blanketed the subterranean chamber, broken only by the flickering candlelight on the walls. A man in his fifties lay inside a cold stone sarcophagus. His face possessed an unnatural pallor, a pair of neatly trimmed mustaches rested above his lip, and a pair of silver-rimmed spectacles sat upon the bridge of his nose. His hair was pitch-black, and he wore a black-and-crimson robe trimmed with opulent gold embroidery. He was Brad Lakeman. The current Duke of House Lakeman, the ruler of Northwind Keep. He rarely appeared before others, except for that speech in the gloomy great hall and... during his feedings. A faint noise rustled through the crypt. It was the soft murmur of bats and the fluttering of leathery wings. A woman, equally pale and gaunt, clad in a heavily ruffled gown, walked in with measured steps and stopped before the sarcophagus. "Father." The man in the stone coffin slowly opened his eyes, revealing deep, rich crimson pupils. "What is it, Alexia?" The woman pinched her skirts and bowed, her voice as cold as ice. "The Eagle Guard brought back word. They discovered traces of tieflings on Storm Heights. Those wretched brutes have established an encampment there." Brad's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Then send men to slaughter them all." "However..." Alexia hesitated. "They seem to be under the protection of Cinder Nest. The scouts we sent were killed by wyverns; only a few managed to flee back." Duke Brad's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of irritation crossing his pale face. "It's that beast again..." "That damned red dragon." The duke harbored a bitter grudge over the Eagle Guard troops he had lost. Each of those elite cavalrymen had cost House Lakeman over a thousand gold coins to train, and Alger in particular was a tool he had valued immensely. The duke had even planned to turn Alger into his eternal, thrall-bound servant. "Do you think we should seek out..." "That person?" Alexia watched the duke's expression, testing the waters. "No. For now, do not provoke an open conflict with Cinder Nest." "And do not summon that mage." "We cannot control his power at all. It will only bring disaster upon us." His answer was decisive and firm, a total rejection of her suggestion. Duke Brad looked at the woman and said with solemn gravity, "Be patient, Alexia." "I have already granted you endless life. As noble immortals, rather than base mortals like ordinary humans, we must learn to wait." "Once I complete the great Ascension..." "All problems will resolve themselves." "Yes, Father," Alexia answered hastily and submissively. Duke Brad involuntarily licked his lips, revealing sharp fangs as a thick crimson glow spilled from the depths of his pupils. "Alexia, when does the feast begin?" "I have grown somewhat hungry."