In the western reaches of the Great Taliro Desert lay the Ash of the Barren Ridge.
Sand dunes undulated across the wasteland, frozen by the wind into eternal waves. The horizon warped and shimmered under the blistering heat.
Black rocks, eroded by scouring winds into rugged, jagged formations, stood like the desiccated skeletons of colossal beasts etched with the deep scars of time. Grains of sand whipped against the stone with a spine-chilling hiss, like countless billions of famished beetles gnawing without end.
Deep within the desert, strange glows occasionally flickered—eerie greens or murky purples that vanished in the blink of an eye, like fragments of ancient magic imprisoned within the sand, or the icy stares of elemental beings gliding through the dunes.
This was no ordinary sea of sand. It was an ancient battlefield forsaken by the gods, a graveyard of life: the Ash of the Barren Ridge.
Countless years ago, this place might have been a lush, vibrant forest teeming with life.
Legend had it that during a far-reaching cataclysm, the Sun God and the Wind God had clashed here.
The Sun God unleashed boundless golden flames, reducing all things to ash and vaporizing the earth into yellow sand, while the Wind God summoned howling gales that stirred up terrifying sandstorm after sandstorm across the ages...
Now, however, this forsaken battlefield bore witness to a new war—only this time, the belligerents were dragons.
*Roar—!*
Across the parched sky, seven brass dragons roared aggressively, their metallic scales gleaming brilliantly beneath the scorching sun.
Several hundred meters away, perched on a sandstone bluff, were four azure blue dragons. Covered in scorched wounds, they growled hoarsely, faint crackles of electricity snapping across their hides.
One of the female blue dragons was noticeably larger than the others. Her scales had been polished to a gleam by the sand, and she was adorned with various magical items. This was none other than the most outstanding blue dragon of the Faria clan's younger generation—Christina Faria.
Flapping her wings, Christina leaped into the air, churning up violent gusts laden with grit as she bellowed in fury, "Shameless brass worms, get off our land! This is the territory of the Faria clan!"
A brass dragon glared back with fierce hostility, snapping in sharp Draconic, "Filthy spawn of Tiamat! You're the ones who should get out! Go to Avernus to keep your goddess company—!"
Before the words had even faded, the brass dragons dove in unison, unleashing sweeping lines of fiery breath.
The blue dragons beat their wings and scattered out of harm's way. The fiery breath slammed directly into the sandstone bluff, and with a muffled boom, the blackened stone pillar collapsed into rubble.
"Damned copper-skinned vermin..."
Facing the swooping brass dragons with bared claws and fangs, Christina ground her teeth, her expression turning savage. She threw back her head and inhaled deeply, a brilliant cluster of lightning coalescing in her throat.
*Crackle—Boom!*
Just before the brass dragons closed the distance, blinding arcs of lightning erupted from her maw, instantly engulfing the foremost three brass dragons.
Among the chromatic dragons, a blue dragon's lightning breath packed the greatest raw destructive power—one that not even red dragons could rival.
Accompanied by a harrowing crackle, the three brass dragons were left dazed and blackened by the electrical surge. Howling in agony, they trailed plumes of dark smoke as they tumbled from the sky.
With their vanguard downed, the remaining four brass dragons hesitated, faltering in midair and not daring to advance. Christina seized the opening, beating her wings to surge straight into the sky.
Amidst the flashing lightning and rolling thunder, the young blue dragon snarled and sank her jaws into the wing of one brass dragon, ripping it savagely apart and sending the beast crashing straight toward the desert floor.
The three surviving brass dragons growled and moved to assist, but the other two blue dragons followed right behind Christina. Roaring madly, they unleashed brilliant arcs of lightning as well, holding the three enemies at bay in a two-against-three standoff.
"Meddling brass scum! Today is your doom!"
Christina snapped her wings, climbing sharply into the upper sky. Looking down upon the three brass dragons, she roared as a bolt of lightning as thick as a tree trunk erupted from her jaws, hurtling straight toward one brass dragon's skull.
Given the devastating force of a blue dragon's breath, a direct hit to the head would leave this barely mature brass dragon dead or gravely crippled.
Lightning reflected in the brass dragon's terror-stricken eyes. It jerked its head aside frantically, but the lightning still blasted violently into its shoulder.
Instantly, amidst an explosive crackle, crisscrossing arcs of electricity enveloped its entire body, blowing its scales apart. Its massive draconic frame plunged helplessly toward the ground, crashing heavily into the cliff face below and sending down an avalanche of shattered stone.
*Boom—!*
The tide of battle shifted in an instant. The engagement had turned into a three-on-two advantage for the blue dragons.
Moreover, second only to red dragons among the chromatic kin, blue dragons were individually superior in combat prowess to brass dragons.
Brass dragons were frivolous by nature and prone to fleeing when outmatched. The two remaining brass dragons exchanged glances, wheeled around, and fled without hesitation, not forgetting to yell back over their shoulders:
"Just you wait, blue worms! The army of the metallic dragons will be here soon! You spawn of Tiamat won't be gloating for long!"
"Fools who can only brag!" Christina roared, preparing to give chase, but the adult blue dragon beside her moved to block her path.
"Don't pursue them. It serves no purpose. Beware of them luring us into a trap. Right now, what matters more is... disposing of these defeated ones."
As he spoke, the blue dragon looked toward the fallen brass dragons sprawled in the rubble, a vicious glint flickering deep within his pupils.
Before Christina could respond, the blue dragon swooped down beside one of the grounded brass dragons. Thrusting his razor-sharp claws through its chest, he ripped out its bloody heart, sending a piercing wail echoing across the desert.
"To think things have escalated to such a state..."
Watching the brass dragon perish, Christina merely let out a soft sigh, saying nothing more.
Naturally, she was not lamenting the death of an enemy, but worrying for the future of her clan and the lives of her kin.
Before this Dragon Calamity swept across Seleucia, the blue dragons of the Faria clan had frequently clashed with metallic dragons, but those conflicts had mostly been limited squabbles over territory and resources, rarely escalating to lethal bloodshed.
There was an unwritten rule among dragonkind that true dragons should not take each other's lives; even opposed factions like chromatic and metallic dragons rarely sought to annihilate one another.
Yet three years ago, the Cult of the Dragon launched a massive invasion into Seleucia. In a span of just three days, Golazdla the "Thunder Tyrant" slaughtered seven adult gold dragons, provoking Bahamut's wrath and igniting the fury of the entire metallic dragon race.
A month later, the metallic dragons' retribution arrived. A host comprised of five gold dragons, seven silver dragons, and twelve brass dragons assaulted the western lair of the Faria clan, leaving six blue dragons dead and inflicting catastrophic losses on the clan's draconic vassals.
From that moment on, the gentleman's agreement observed by true dragons for tens of thousands of years was shattered. Mutual slaughter between chromatic and metallic dragons resurfaced across the world.
Both sides fought with ruthless brutality, as if returning to the Dragonfall War of the First Era, reviving the ancient conflict that had caused countless dragons to perish.
Christina knew that if they slaughtered all of these brass dragons today, the Faria clan would inevitably face even fiercer retaliation from the metallic dragons—especially the vengeful brass dragons—and more of her clan's blue dragons would die pointless deaths.
With that in mind, just as the blue dragon prepared to execute the second unconscious brass dragon on the ground, Christina called out, "Enough. There's no need to kill any more."
The blue dragon turned, his eyes filled with bewilderment and suppressed rage. "Why? Haven't these hypocritical metallic dragons butchered enough of our people?"
Christina snapped coldly, "Fool! Slaying them will only bring greater losses upon us. We gain nothing from killing these brass vermin, only more vicious vengeance from the metallic dragons!"
"Clear away that damned dragon corpse. We're returning directly to the Western Lair. I'm going to see my father!" she commanded firmly, electric sparks crackling in her eyes.
"Understood..."
The blue dragon twitched his maw, but did not dare defy Christina's authority. Lowering his head, he beat his wings and took flight toward the lair.
Blue dragons had little fondness for towering above-ground dwellings, preferring instead to excavate underground lairs, burrowing beneath dunes or using magic to hollow out intricate cavern networks and tunnels in the bedrock to accommodate their expanding clans.
As the largest blue dragon clan in the south—and indeed across all of Feanso—the Faria clan possessed several lairs.
The Western Lair was situated above the ruins of an ancient city swallowed by dunes. Its entrance opened into a wide cavern where carved stone pillars from the ancient ruins merged seamlessly into the rock walls, decorated with azure and violet crystals.
Magical sandstorms swirled perpetually around the lair, reinforced by countless lethal traps, while monsters such as winged lions, dragonnes, and desert scorpion-drakes patrolled the perimeter.
Yet upon seeing Christina, the mistress of the lair, return, all the beasts bowed their heads in submission, and even the raging sandstorm parted to open a vast corridor for her passage.
Christina made her way into the subterranean lair, winding through the labyrinthine tunnels until she reached its deepest chamber—the sanctum of her father, the patriarch of the Faria clan, the ancient blue dragon Keldom.
Stepping into the cavern, Christina strode forward, her voice urgent and brimming with frustration. "Father, we cannot go on like this! This war is utterly bleeding the clan dry!"
"Before this conflict began, our clan numbered ninety-seven dragons. In just two years, we have lost twenty-one adult blue dragons!"
The colossal ancient blue dragon rose to his feet, his voice rumbling like rolling thunder. "Yet... it is worth it. When Her Majesty Tiamat returns to the mortal realm, our Faria clan will be hailed as Her greatest champions, showered in endless glory..."
"Damn that glory!"
Christina cut the ancient dragon short in sheer frustration, gritting her teeth as she fumed, "Can glory bring our fallen kin back to life?"
"The war in the western Great Taliro Desert grows more ferocious by the day. Gold, silver, brass, bronze, and even copper dragons have all joined the fray! We are throwing the strength of our single clan against the entirety of the metallic dragons of Feanso!"
Keldom fell silent for a moment, but still attempted to rationalize, "We only need to hold out a little longer. Our Faria clan has already secured the western kingdom. Once Elder Golazdla completes her mission..."
"Did we secure the western kingdom? It was Elder Golazdla who led her cult to conquer it! We are nothing more than expendable fodder beneath her feet!" Christina scoffed.
She looked up at the ancient blue dragon, pressing her argument. "What spoils have we gained from conquering the kingdom? More enemies, an endless tide of wretched blue dragonborn mongrels, and fewer and fewer true members of the Faria clan!"
"Father, put an end to this. We shouldn't be throwing our lives away for Golazdla. She isn't one of us anymore—she has already been... by Her Majesty... You know full well what I mean."
Keldom let out a bitter chuckle. "Christina, your timing is impeccable. I was just about to summon you. We will no longer be responsible for defending the western front. Those so-called 'Blue Dragon Descendant Godslayers' will be taking over the defense here."
"What? That's..."
Christina's eyes initially flashed with relief, but noting the grim look on the ancient dragon's face, she sensed something amiss. Frowning, she asked, "Wait... has something gone wrong with the Cult of the Dragon?"
Keldom's expression turned somber as he spoke in a heavy voice: "The Cinder Empire has marched south. In a single sweep, they took Forest Hawk City, annihilated the Green Dragon Sect, and occupied northern Seleucia."
"The Cinder Emperor himself intervened, slaying Erebus and taking his divine body. This provoked Her Majesty the Dragon Queen to boundless fury. She hurled down dragons from Her divine realm, ordering them to assassinate Cassius."
Christina's expression shifted drastically, darkening until it looked like a dense storm cloud. "Then we..."
Keldom sighed once more. "Indeed. Our new orders are to deploy to the eastern and northern reaches of Taliro to hold back the Cinder Empire's invasion, and to do everything within our power to slay the Cinder Emperor."
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Christina slammed her claws violently against the ground, sending sand flying as arcs of electricity crackled and hummed across the stone floor.
"Father, that is sending us straight to our deaths! I have visited the Cinder Empire multiple times. I know their military might, and I know even better just how monstrously powerful that Cinder Emperor is!"
"Damn it, Golazdla has lost her mind! She doesn't care about the clan's survival in the slightest—she's completely lost in her delusions of godhood!"
Keldom replied in a low rumble, "Yet this is the divine decree of Her Majesty the Dragon Queen. It cannot be defied."
It was clear, however, that the ancient blue dragon's resolve had already begun to waver.
Christina said coldly, "Father, our Faria clan has fought across north and south. We have sacrificed far too much for the chromatic dragons and for Her Majesty. We have lost over twenty kin in this war; our duty has been fulfilled beyond reproach.
"The Dragonfall War tens of thousands of years ago proved one undeniable truth: whenever dragon gods quarrel, the ones who suffer are never the deities—it is always us."
Keldom sank into grave contemplation. After a long silence, he spoke with resolute firmness:
"Christina, you speak the truth. We have already lost far too much in this war.
"The Faria clan will have no part in this madness—even if it means defying a divine decree... so be it!"
Chapter 806