True dragons, once they reach adulthood, commonly take underlings to serve them. These underlings, known as kin, act as the dragon's minions. Some powerful true dragons even possess a following as strong as a national army.
The two white dragons had collectively occupied a territory, with about two thousand minions under their command—not an insignificant number. Now gathered together, the area buzzed with activity, the various scents of different creatures mixing in the chilly air.
Garon scrutinized them, noting that their kin consisted mainly of lower-level magical creatures. Among them were white hounds and terror lizards, iceblade birds, four-eyed toads, and other such magical beasts. What caught Garon's attention the most was a particularly ugly creature that resembled a lump of sludge.
Oozes.
These creatures, with their slick, flowing bodies, excel at hiding in crevices or beneath swamps. They suffocate their prey by enveloping them and then digest them using the acidic substances within their bodies. Their method of consumption is somewhat similar to slimes, but they are much stronger and larger.
Moreover, the size and strength of an ooze are not fixed. With sufficient nutrition, they can evolve to the size of a small lake. There exists an ooze deity as large as a mountain, capable of devouring true dragons and giants—a terrifying entity indeed.
In the icy plains of the far north, oozes are rare, and this was Garon's first encounter with them. They were few in number, only about a dozen, with the largest being a three-meter diameter pool of mud, constantly shifting its slimy, viscous surface in a somewhat repulsive and eerie manner.
True dragons do not have a fixed habit of acquiring kin; it mainly depends on personal preference and desire. Garon prefers either magically capable, intelligent beings or massive, ferocious species. However, ninety percent of these two white dragons' two thousand minions were non-sentient beings.
The only exception was a tribe of about two hundred gnolls.
Though named 'gnolls,' their appearance bore no resemblance to dogs. Instead, they carry a trace of draconic lineage, with heads slightly resembling that of a dragon. They have short protrusions on their foreheads, scaly skin, and long, rat-like tails, with a generally lean physique.
The origin of gnolls is murky, but their faint draconic lineage suggests some ancient connection with dragonkind.
The reason they are called 'gnoll,' which sounds similar to 'gnome,' may stem from their peculiar accent in Draconic. Their Draconic includes odd intonations and is often interspersed with bark-like sounds, significantly different from the pure form of the language.
Non-sentient creatures do not care about their masters losing freedom and becoming lair guardians. In contrast, gnolls are zealous and fanatical, a race that deeply reveres true dragons.
Upon seeing Garon, a larger and more majestic figure, and learning he was their new master, all gnolls showed no displeasure. Instead, they knelt fervently, expressing their respect and loyalty to him in their peculiar Draconic, which took Garon some effort to understand.
Holmes and Graham (the adult white dragon), seeing the gnolls' quick shift in allegiance, felt somewhat irked, but they did not dare show this openly in front of Garon.
These kin now technically belonged to Garon.
Among the gnolls, several winged leaders stood out with a stronger draconic aura, distinct from the regular gnolls. These wings, considered gifts from the draconic god Tiamat in their culture, allow them low-altitude flight. Winged gnolls take pride in their wings, envied by their wingless brethren.
After surveying the entirety of the two white dragons' kin, Garon nodded almost imperceptibly.
Gnolls are excellent miners and are among the most loyal and cunning servants to dragons. They are deceitful and base, ready to fulfill any task assigned by a true dragon without hesitation. Oozes are dangerous hunters in the mines, often capable of ensnaring unsuspecting enemies within their bodies.
"These could be useful for mining gems for me."
"Along with the minotaur shamans' influence over the earth, the gem mines should be efficiently exploited."
The small vein of frost giant white crystal, though still in frost giant territory, was already deemed his by Garon.
The white dragon mother, initially seeking cooperation from the white dragons, had now made them his lair guardians, allowing him to raid the frost giant tribe without needing to offer extra spoils of war.
And having two more white dragons along was undoubtedly a good thing.
Elder dragons of the gold, silver, red, and iron varieties typically possess legendary strength.
Although elder frost giants do not reach legendary status, their strength is unquestionably formidable, and having more robust support is always beneficial.
As time passed, the
two new lair guardians constructed simple nests near the lair to reside in.
Garon forbade them from hunting within his territory. If they were hungry, the two white dragons could take turns hunting outside. Regardless of how they arranged their hunting schedules, the lair must always have a guardian nearby.
Garon consumed the food brought by the white dragon mother—finding the rare and tasty frost-armored giant serpent to his liking.
However, if the white dragon mother's intentions were as he suspected, he would never agree to them.
He would gladly accept more food, but her ulterior motives were definitely not welcome.
Within a day, the Wolfheart clan's winter wolves, leading their pack across the snowy plains, arrived tumultuously at the icy cliff territory under the cover of night.
Among the wolves, large humanoid figures, bruised and battered, were surrounded and driven forward by the pack.
Seeing the two lair guardians, the winter wolves of the Wolfheart clan paused, growling low and readying for battle until they saw Garon appear and calmed down.
Had the Wolfheart clan's winter wolves been present when the two white dragons initially intruded, they might have given the dragons a significant challenge.
"The name of the Eternal Dragon will one day echo across the continent."
"The Wolfheart clan, as your most outstanding minions."
"The silhouette of the winter wolf will always appear at the forefront."
The winter wolves looked at Garon, who had just subdued the two white dragons, with awe and admiration in their eyes.
To them, it seemed only days had passed, and already a prime-aged white dragon had willingly become Garon's lair guardian—a feat not just any true dragon could achieve.
The winter wolves felt fortunate about their decision to become Garon's kin.
Garon accepted the winter wolves' praises and then turned his gaze to the hulking humanoid figures within the wolf pack.
About one hundred and fifty in number.
These minotaurs, with their thick horns and burly, muscular bodies, appeared formidable despite their weary aura. Covered in dense black fur and sporting short tails, they wore leather wraps around their waists, their exposed muscles bulging like sculpted steel.
Even the shortest adult minotaur stood at two and a half meters tall, and unlike the corpulent but flabby ogres, minotaurs boasted tightly packed muscle fibers that rippled with every movement.
"A group of devil muscle bulls would make excellent steaks," Garon thought, amused by his somewhat absurd idea.