Cassius's Palace

The Great Anzetta Waste. The Cinder Palace. "Truly worthy of being His Majesty Cassius's residence." Dracarys looked up at the magnificent, breathtaking palace, letting out a heartfelt sigh of admiration. "If only I could claim it as my own..." Gazing at the resplendent, opulent complex of buildings, the female dragon instinctively licked her lips, greed flickering in the depths of her golden pupils. Such was the innate nature of a dragon. Yet the thought merely flashed through her mind, never to be acted upon. Had this been the palace of some mortal king, Dracarys would have long since begun burning, slaughtering, and plundering. Instead, she knew full well she was about to face the supreme ruler of northern Feanso, one of the mightiest dragons on the Material Plane—the Cinder Emperor, Cassius. If the first impression this palace gave was sheer magnificence, then the second impression was immense scale. Everything within the palace was enormous. Whether it was the gates, stairways, thrones, or halls, each was extraordinarily massive. The heavy metal gates alone, engraved with the coat of arms of the Cinder Empire, rose fifty meters high. The palace halls behind them loomed even taller—a mortal would have to tilt their head back as far as possible just to catch a glimpse of the roof. Even as a massive red dragon, she felt rather insignificant before this towering imperial palace. As she drew nearer, the surrounding air grew sweltering, as though it were on the verge of bursting into flame. Any mortal lingering in this zone would be roasted alive within moments. For this reason, the guards stationed at the palace were all half-red dragons bearing exceptionally concentrated bloodlines—and, of course, atavistic wyverns. "Roar—" Snarls echoed from high above. Over a dozen wyverns crouched on the watchtowers, craning their necks and roaring with imposing might. Even when confronting a true red dragon capable of bloodline suppression, these wyverns showed no fear. They looked down on her from above, baring mouths full of razor-sharp fangs. The garrison defending the palace stood in full battle readiness as well. Soldiers hurried back and forth along the battlements, maneuvering heavy magitech cannons. Over a dozen gaping black muzzles swiveled toward the red dragon, ready to fire should she violently lash out. "Vile wyvern vermin, mongrel humans, fiendbloods... Truly incapable of knowing their place." Dracarys raised her head, contempt pooling in her eyes as a cruel smile touched her lips. She surged into the air, beating her wings, looking down imperiously at the host of creatures below. Almost instinctively, the red dragon wanted to teach these insolent lower life-forms a lesson, a terrifying surge of killing intent erupting from her gaze. Under that suffocating aura, even the wyverns trembled all over. Yet they still did not yield. Struggling to maintain their stance, they aimed low, muffled growls at the red dragon hovering nearby. These wyverns understood that behind them stood the Cinder Emperor. No enemy dared run amok in his presence. Their primary duty was simply to uphold the empire's majesty and exert sufficient pressure upon anyone seeking an audience. Seeing veins bulge across the red dragon's snout as her expression twisted into a savage mask, on the verge of losing control and attacking, the tiefling captain of the guard stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "You must be Lady Dracarys. You possess the right to enter the imperial palace. "However, you should know that the palace grounds are a no-fly zone. Aside from His Majesty Cassius, no one may take flight within. If you violate this... you do so at your own peril. "Remember where you stand: this is the imperial palace of the Cinder Empire. "Here, even deities must abide by the rules and obey the Emperor's command." By the end, the tiefling captain deliberately weighted his words. At the same time, an oppressive aura of natural laws radiated from him—power granted to him by the Sovereign-Conferred Divine Right. Only then did the red dragon cool down, reassessing the situation. *Is that... a legendary spellcaster?* Dracarys felt a jolt of shock, then immediately shook her head. *Impossible. How could someone of that caliber be content serving as a mere guard!* She looked toward the flock of wyverns. Even those lowly reptiles were remarkably huge and robust, averaging over ten meters in length, nearly matching ordinary young dragons. *They are far stronger than their kin, almost like an entirely new species...* Dracarys thought in astonishment. *Truly worthy of His Majesty Cassius. His noble bloodline can even influence his vassals.* Once more, a heartfelt sigh rose within her. The female red dragon descended from the sky and strode toward the city gates, though her chin remained tilted upward in unyielding arrogance. With a heavy rumble, the palace gates slowly swung open. Dracarys stepped inside and headed straight toward the distant main hall. —According to Tinia, Cassius was waiting there to grant her an audience. The main hall of the palace was outrageously vast, towering a hundred meters high like a colossal pillar propping up the heavens. Following the road, Dracarys made her way toward the grand doors. The closer she drew, the more palpable the boundless pressure became, stirring an uncontrollable urge within her to prostrate herself in worship. *Dragon fear of this magnitude...* Dracarys closed her eyes, carefully savoring that intense oppression. Her heart pounded frantically, her excitement mounting with every passing heartbeat. One had to understand that Dracarys was an atavistic red dragon of exalted heritage, an existence blessed with progenitor dragon blood. Normal dragons—even great wyrms—could never impose bloodline suppression upon her. Yet now, she felt a terrifying pressure seeping straight into her soul. This was utterly unprecedented. "Rumble—" With a dull roar, the massive doors of the main hall slowly parted. A wave of scorching smoke rolled out, accompanied by an overwhelming cascade of dragon fear. Dracarys stepped through the entrance. Huge oil paintings hung along both sides of the corridor. Beneath each painting stood life-sized statues cast in pure gold, depicting vampires, silver dragons, angels, demons... even divine avatars. These were all the glorious achievements and illustrious battle exploits of the Cinder Emperor. Dracarys climbed the stairs step by step. Raising her head, she finally laid eyes once more upon that towering, majestic figure— A red dragon as immense as a mountain reclined upon a throne of solid gold. His posture was leisurely, yet he still exuded an undeniable, absolute majesty. This red dragon was exceptionally muscular, his coiled sinews resembling solidified magma. He was entirely clad in thick, crimson scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen. Faint dark-golden patterns traced across them, like subterranean magma coursing beneath cracked earth. Upon his massive head, four horns swept back like a crown. His pale-golden vertical pupils burned like molten rock, radiating arrogance, disdain, and utter indifference. This was the feeling! This feeling of being looked down upon, of being treated like worthless trash! Dracarys's face was flushed with boundless ecstasy, her eyes brimming with longing. Her scalding draconic heart thrashed wildly in her chest, and her entire frame trembled uncontrollably. "Your Majesty Cassius, I... I can finally see you again. I am Dracarys... "Do you remember? Not long ago, in Avernus, your magnificent figure shook me to the core..." Dracarys spoke with breathless excitement, her words tumbling over one another. "Avernus..." Cassius glanced at her, replying flatly, "In that case, are you a divine chosen of the Dragon Queen? Have you come in obedience to her oracle?" To his surprise, Dracarys shook her head with absolute certainty. "No, I am not. That being is not worthy of my allegiance." Only then did Cassius show a flicker of interest. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Why?" "You are a red dragon, Tiamat's most favored child, born to be a follower of the Mother of Evil Dragons." "Aren't you the same?" Dracarys gave a small smile and murmured, "That majesty is far too greedy. Becoming her chosen means that one day, you will be utterly devoured, without even a scrap of bone left behind." Hearing this answer, Cassius chuckled. "Heh. An accurate assessment of the Dragon Queen. "However... do you mean to tell me you don't desire the power of divine favor?" Dracarys snorted coldly. "Only the weak beg for a deity's grace to obtain fleeting, hollow power. The truly strong rely solely on themselves. "I revere you precisely because I witnessed the supreme might with which you resisted the Dragon Queen. You should know that I have always addressed you as 'Your Majesty Cassius,' never as some so-called 'Dragon Prince.'" Cassius narrowed his eyes, studying the female red dragon below. A faint glint shifted within his pale-golden pupils, his gaze deep and searching, as if piercing through to her very soul. He could tell that her behavior showed no signs of deceit, nor did her soul carry Tiamat's presence. She did not seem like an undercover spy sent by the Dragon Queen. Still, the methods of deities were unpredictable and ever-changing; he could not be completely certain. "Dracarys, you have done well to defeat Tinia and stand before me." Cassius regarded the female red dragon with a scrutinizing gaze and asked in an even tone, "So—why have you come?" Dracarys's expression grew fervent, bordering on obsession. "What I want most—is naturally to mate with you! "Those worm-like blue and green dragons are nowhere near worthy of you. Only a red dragon bearing the noblest and purest bloodline is barely qualified to be your mate—such as myself. "Your Majesty Cassius, the union of our bloodlines will produce the most flawless offspring. He will be the natural-born sovereign of the red dragon race, destined to become..." Plumes of sulfurous smoke puffed from Dracarys's maw, her eyes burning bright as if she could already see that glorious future unfolding. The corner of Cassius's mouth twitched. *—And you still claim you aren't an undercover agent sent by Tiamat!* "Out of the question." Cassius shook his head and said coldly, "I do not trust you. Everyone knows that the Dragon Queen has long coveted my bloodline. "Even if you are not her worshiper right now, I cannot rule out the possibility that you would take my bloodline straight to her to claim a reward." "I naturally knew this would not be granted so easily, Your Majesty." Dracarys lowered her eyelids, showing little disappointment, as though she had anticipated this response. "However, I will prove through my actions that I am your most suitable mate, the only dragon across the Feanso Continent worthy of bearing your offspring. "As for now—I have another request. I wonder if Your Majesty might grant it?" Dracarys lowered her head, her voice carrying a rare tone of deference and humility. Her posture was remarkably subdued—a show of respect reserved only for the strong. Cassius looked down upon her with indifferent eyes and asked, "What are you willing to offer in return?" "I can serve as your spy and provide intelligence regarding the Dragon Queen's descent into the world," Dracarys said in a low voice, tucking her wings close. "Not bad. "Then... what is your request?" A hint of curiosity surfaced in Cassius's eyes. Even with his exalted status as the Cinder Emperor, he could not fathom what this ambitious female red dragon truly wanted. Power? Wealth? Strength? None seemed to fit. Power was meaningless to an expert like Dracarys; sheer might was what bred the most absolute authority. As for the empire's wealth, though boundless, every true dragon knew the depths of their race's avarice—there was no way he, a dragon emperor, would ever surrender his hoard. And as for strength, Dracarys scoffed even at Tiamat's divine favor, let alone any boon Cassius might grant. "I have always wanted to know just how vast the chasm is between myself and a being like the Dragon Queen, and to what height I must grow before I can stand above all living beings. Therefore..." Dracarys lifted her head, an uncontrollable madness surging within her golden vertical pupils as battle intent flared fiercely. "Your Majesty Cassius, I want to fight you! I challenge you to a traditional dragon duel!! "Please unleash your full might and let me witness the power capable of rivaling the Dragon Queen!" For a moment, the air froze. The grand hall sank into an awkward silence. "You..." Cassius looked down at the red dragon who was less than half his size, appearing remarkably diminutive beneath his towering frame. After a long silence, he remarked deadpan, "You truly are insane. "Nevertheless, I grant your request. You may begin this so-called... duel at any time." "Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty," Dracarys replied with a pleased nod and a soft laugh, as if she had received a genuine compliment. Challenging the Cinder Emperor to a duel was indeed an act of sheer madness. This was the dragon universally recognized as the mightiest alive, the cruelest tyrant, the most domineering emperor, capable of matching even divine avatars in battle! Anyone uttering such words anywhere on the Feanso Continent—or across much of the multiverse—would be branded a lunatic. Furthermore, the sheer difference in size between Dracarys and Cassius was staggering. She measured under thirty meters in length, whereas Cassius's true form spanned over sixty meters. A length difference of over thirty meters was enough to cram an entire great wyrm red dragon into the gap! Looking purely at length, Cassius was only a little more than twice her size, which did not sound completely absurd. But when factoring in overall mass and volume, the disparity was more than tenfold! Transposed into a fight between humans, this was roughly equivalent to a three-year-old child challenging a fully grown man—an impossible contest. And that was merely the crushing advantage in physical frame. Factoring in breath weapons, spellcasting, fleshly resilience... Dracarys's defeat would only be that much more miserable. This could no longer be called a duel; it would inevitably devolve into a one-sided slaughter. Hence, Dracarys's request left Cassius entirely perplexed, unable to make heads or tails of her intent. Could it be... that this red dragon, just like Tinia, harbored some bizarre, undisclosed fetish? Cassius's brow furrowed slightly, feeling as though he had just uncovered the truth.