Bruce, having devoured the griffin, contemplated the newfound enhancement to his wind magic talent. The subtle yet discernible change in his abilities was a curious development for him.
Flapping his wings, he noticed a faint golden shimmer within the tissue, resembling a natural magic pattern. This minute change, though barely visible, seemed to infuse his wingbeats with a trace of magical energy. The buoyancy from each flap felt slightly more pronounced, an incremental but definite improvement.
"Well, every little bit helps," Bruce mused, determined to leverage even the smallest advantage.
In a bid to waste nothing, he meticulously licked up the remnants of the griffin – meat, blood, and all. His practical, survival-first approach, however, wasn't shared by his siblings.
"Really, no sense of decorum," Carona remarked disdainfully, watching Bruce clean the ground. "How embarrassing to acknowledge him as our brother in the future."
Their inherited memories painted a picture of dragons as noble, dignified creatures, far removed from such pragmatic, earthy behavior. To them, Bruce's actions contradicted the lofty standards they believed dragons should uphold.
Bruce, however, saw such notions as foolish pride. To him, the primary goal was survival, everything else was secondary. He knew of dragons who, captured by humans, chose starvation over compromising their dignity – a notion he found absurd.
As night descended, the dragon's nest was enveloped in a rare tranquility. Bruce gazed at the sky, marveling at the clarity of the stars and the deep blue of the night. The untouched jungle around them acted as a natural barrier, filtering out the pollution and dust from distant civilizations.
He had never before appreciated such natural beauty – the vividness of the stars, the brilliance of the moon. It was a stark contrast to his previous life.
Dragon Mother returned triumphantly, her thunderous landing akin to a victorious declaration. Bruce noticed a superficial scratch on her thigh, likely from a skirmish during her patrol. Yet, the injury seemed insignificant against her robust scales.
He also spotted something glistening in her claw under the moonlight – a string of jewels. Bruce's innate sense as a dragon immediately recognized the authenticity of the treasure. Dragons had a natural affinity for jewels, surpassing even the most skilled human appraisers.
This treasure, likely a spoil from her recent encounter, suggested the jungle's precarious safety. Whether the jewels came from humans or rival dragons, it was a concerning sign. Bruce was aware of the dangers lurking in their world – from humans luring away mother dragons to hunt their offspring, to rival dragons encroaching territories and threatening the young.
"We must grow stronger quickly," Bruce resolved, "Not for glory, but simply to survive." This thought solidified in his heart as he watched the night unfold, the stars his silent witnesses.
Bruce watched intently as Dragon Mother, oblivious to his gaze, landed at the edge of their nest. She strode towards the center, her powerful dragon claws tearing open a tree trunk. Beneath it, Bruce discovered a large pit, a hidden trove glittering with dozens of kilograms of treasures, predominantly diamonds and jewelry.
For a dragon, this collection was modest, but Bruce understood the context. Shia, still in the early stages of motherhood and territory establishment, had accomplished much. Just two years prior, she was a young dragon, wandering until she met a formidable male in the Green Forest, leading to the birth of Bruce, Torenço, and Carona.
The successful hatching of all three was a rarity in the world of green dragons, where the hatching rate was notoriously low due to neglect and environmental challenges. That all three siblings had emerged from their eggs was nothing short of miraculous.
Shia had only begun to amass this hoard after claiming the territory and constructing the nest. Bruce watched from his vantage point amidst the weeds and tree trunks as Shia meticulously reburied the jewels in the pit, showing a level of care and attention she rarely afforded her offspring. He recalled how Shia had accidentally harmed Torenso that morning, a stark contrast to her treatment of the treasures.
Shia's stern gaze and warning caught Bruce off-guard. "Hoho~hoho, don't even think about touching these treasures," she admonished.
Bruce feigned disinterest, turning his gaze to the tranquil jungle below. "I'm just admiring the night and the chorus of insects," he thought, giving Shia a nonchalant look. However, his curiosity about the treasures was undeniable, betraying him with a subtle swallow.
He pondered the taste, quality, and potential benefits of the treasures. "Would Shia notice if a piece or two went missing?" Bruce thought, intrigued by the idea of consuming the jewels for his own gain.
A daring plan began to form in his mind – the theft of Shia's treasure. But such an act was fraught with peril, and the consequences of being caught were dire. According to dragon law, the punishment for such a transgression ranged from banishment to death.
With a helpless sigh, Bruce reflected on the harsh realities of dragon life. For all their majesty and power, dragons were bound by a code that was unforgiving and often cruel. In this world, strength and survival came before all else, a lesson Bruce was quickly learning.