"Boom!" A massive fireball descended from the sky, scorching the air as it hit the unsuspecting red dragon, causing a terrifying 0 damage amidst the dissipating smoke and dust.
Yet, Smolder jumped up in alarm. Its scales and armor were fine, but its saddlebags were not fireproof. It took a few vigorous slaps to extinguish the flames.
"How dare you attack a dragon!" Smolder spat out ancient syllables, a language passed down through the bloodlines of true dragon-kind since time immemorial.
Hearing this, the previously ferocious bipedal dragon immediately wilted, its low intelligence only registering the absolute suppression emanating from Smolder's presence, losing all will to fight. Its once proud neck drooped, indifferent to the fireball that exploded upon its face.
Smolder, channeling all its displeasure into a retaliatory fireball and surprised by the dragon's reaction, quickly dismissed the thought of a desperate struggle.
"We're even now. You sprayed me, I sprayed you back," Smolder told the dragon. It hadn't anticipated such absolute dominance over another dragon species, realizing any other creature of similar size would have posed a significant challenge.
The dragon maintained its respectful posture, whimpering pathetically.
"Do you have grievances?" Smolder asked, intrigued by this reaction. As it listened, Smolder's expression darkened.
Duke Fran felt an ominous unease today, as if something terrible were about to happen.
"It doesn't make sense. The Gold-tier hunters will arrive tomorrow and surely kill this damned fire dragon. I'm safe in this bunker... It can't find me here..." He whispered to himself, trying to soothe his fragile conscience, tormented by greed and unable to let go.
"Boom!" With a loud crash, the bunker door splintered apart, and a majestic wingless creature stormed in.
"Lord Duke, please hand over the stolen dragon egg," Smolder demanded, eyes narrowed.
"What... what..." Duke Fran paled in shock. "Guards, where are my guards!"
"Stop yelling, or you'll end up like them," Smolder warned, silencing the Duke.
"I don't understand. For a dragon egg, you're willing to sacrifice so much and see your manor destroyed. Is this egg special?" Smolder pressed.
"Who are you!" Duke Fran trembled.
"Do I look human to you?" Smolder puzzled, wondering if the necklace also worked on people.
"I'm just a red dragon passing by, bored enough to punish a greedy human like you."
Duke Fran, realizing the gravity of the situation, fell to his knees, pleading, "Great dragon, don't eat me!"
"I told you I'm not human! Relax, hand over the egg, and I won't harm you."
"Really? You won't eat me?" Duke Fran stammered.
Smolder, frustrated by the man's cowardice, demanded one last time for the egg. The Duke's pitiful behavior brought back unpleasant memories.
"Alright!" Duke Fran complied, retrieving a large egg from a hidden compartment.
His face ashen, Duke Fran hesitantly offered the egg to Smolder.
Taking the egg with a forepaw, Smolder inspected it then addressed the Duke, "You're sensible. Congratulations, Lord Duke, you've saved your life." With that, Smolder left the Duke collapsed on the ground, exiting the bunker.
Carrying the egg with its tail, Smolder moved effortlessly on three legs. Spotting a guard pretending to be dead, Smolder merely glanced and continued on.
"Big guy, this your egg?" Smolder cheerfully addressed the waiting fire dragon.
The dragon nodded eagerly, making joyous but ugly noises, resembling a happy bird.
Smolder sized up the dragon, "How will you carry this egg back?"
The dragon responded with a hopeful chirp, opening its mouth wide.
"Yikes, have you ever brushed your teeth?" Smolder stepped back, fanning the air with its free paw.
Embarrassed, the dragon whined softly.
"Fine, I'll forgive you since you lack hands. But carrying your egg like this is disrespectful to your child. Let me help you brush," Smolder suggested, pointing to a nearby pond in the manor.
With some effort and a large brush found in the manor, Smolder convinced the dragon to rinse its mouth and cleaned its teeth thoroughly. Satisfied with the job, Smolder carefully placed the egg into the dragon's now clean mouth, bidding farewell as the dragon took flight, carefully not to harm the egg.
Watching the dragon disappear, Smolder clenched its fist, determined, "The sky, you'll be mine one day! That day isn't far off!"
Turning to face the approaching soldiers, Smolder challenged, "What do you want?"
"Ready to fight? I won't hold back this time!" Smolder warned, recognizing several faces from earlier confrontations.
"Dragon, surrender! We have many men," someone shouted from the crowd.
"Think I'm a weak tiger?" Smolder unleashed a fireball without hesitation, scattering the soldiers' formation. The instigator was hit directly, turning into another human torch.
"Lord!" "Lord!" The remaining soldiers panicked, scattering, forgetting a nearby pond could extinguish the flames.
Smolder, recognizing Duke Fran's voice from the morning, regretted the unnecessary loss of life, "I spared you, yet you didn't understand." Unfortunately, the Duke could no longer hear. His loyal soldiers, witnessing his motionless body, fled in terror.
"Since the manor's master is dead, taking a few things isn't really stealing, right?" Smolder rationalized, reducing its guilt.
Ransacking the deserted house and lured by the scent of gold, Smolder soon left the ruined manor behind, its pockets slightly heavier.
Continuing westward towards the Kote Empire, Smolder looked back at the city walls, pondering the journey ahead and resolving to keep a low profile, aware of the challenges its draconic nature presented in a human-dominated world.