Senotraxia could hear the roars of her kin echo through the peaks. As she neared their mountain homes, she could see the scorched land. Once filled with life and a serene extension of the forest, it was now a wasteland. Years of constant battle had taken a toll, and it would take decades to recover from. The worst part was that it had been her decision to strip the land bare and raise ancient trees.

  All to keep the undead at bay.

  Charging into the no man's land devoid of cover, the undead attacked her kin with abandon. While weaker than her kin by a thousandfold, the undead felt endless. They would swarm each dragon, attacking any weak spot they could find, or if nothing else, just weigh them down. The undead weren’t even trying to kill them directly, merely exhaust and distract them. All to create an opening.

  Any chance the undead got, they would run past the dragons and into their hoards. Undead could be then seen running back down the mountains with armloads of treasure. It was the main reason the dragons had to stay low and fight on the ground despite being superior in the air.

  Unfortunately, theft of their hoards wasn’t the only way the undead exploited an opening. Anytime the undead felt a dragon was weakened, they would attack with a higher tier of monstrosity, which were much stronger and smarter. Instead of mindless drones following orders, these undead could think. While normally still trivial to even an adolescent dragon, exhaustion could bring even the mightiest creature low. So while rare, her kin had incurred losses.

  Below her, she could see such a scene about to play out. So despite being tired from her flight, she dived into the fray.

  Crashing into the ground, she sent the undead scattering. Crushing the higher-tiered undead underfoot before they could reach her younger kin, struggling to pull himself to his feet.

  ‘My Queen, you saved me!’ The young dragon thanked her. Even through telepathy, Senotraxia could feel his exhaustion.

  ‘Thank me later. Now run! Don’t fight so long that you can hardly even stand’ she chided him while effortlessly swatting away the undead. Even these higher-tier undead were like ants to her, hardly any stronger than the arrogant gnoll she killed the other day.

  The problem lie in trying to finish them off. All the stronger undead had a soul gem somewhere on their body, similar to a monster core, only smaller. Unless destroyed, the undead would just recover the gem and implant it into a new body. Thankfully, luck was on her side today.

  Seeing the tell-tale glint of the gem dropping to the ground, Senotraxia whipped her tail, clearing the path before lunging at the gem and shattering it in her claws. As soon as it was destroyed, a horrific wail echoed out as the souls within escaped. It was possible they could possess another to create a new monster, but at least they wouldn’t serve the undead.

  The shattering of the gem also disrupted the control of the lesser undead, who would falter for a time, losing cohesion. It was the only meaningful way the dragons had to strike back at the undead, as the soul gems were not easily replaced, needing to be crafted from monster cores.

  The kill even caused the higher-tier undead to take pause and retreat. The thought of the undead fearing for their lives did amuse her. For now, though, she had helped to stabilize the front. It was time to call a meeting and present her gamble to her kin.

  Within a few days, the prominent dragons who could be spared were assembled. While any decisions were ultimately hers, she wasn’t so arrogant as not to seek counsel.

  The dragons met in a secluded valley at the base of the mountain Senotraxia claimed as her own. While sensitive topics were likely best not discussed in the open, not all dragons could take the form of a smaller race, so space was an issue. It was rare for so many dragons of her flight to gather in one place outside of the winter months.

  Despite being immune to the cold, frequent blizzards and deep snow kept the undead at bay. In turn, the worst of the winter months were the only reprieve the dragons got all year. Unfortunately, it also gave the undead time to grow in strength and numbers by spring.

  Senotraxia looked around at all the dragons assembled. Twenty of them were able to make it. A better turnout than she expected. While there were many times more dragons still in the mountains keeping up the defense, this group represented the oldest and most powerful of her flight at least what was left.

  Centuries ago, when her parents ruled, the oldest dragons were nearly gods unto themselves. Many had set foot into the realm of the divine. Unfortunately, all that did was attract the attention of the false gods who claimed this world during the descent. Who slowly conscripted all the truly ancient and powerful beings from across the world.

  Many of the younger races called the descent the dawn of blessings, as it was when the pantheon first visited the world, bestowing power upon any that would worship them. With any beings of sufficient power being taken in to join the new gods among the stars. Even to this day, it staggered her to think there were conflicts in the heavens where even divine beings had to play the part of foot soldiers.

  She thankfully did get word from her parents from time to time. Not directly, but through messengers, the pantheon used to monitor and control the world. Still short of stepping into the realm of the divine herself, she knew it was unlikely she would ever see them again.

  Their departure left her to take up the mantle of queen, forced to lead a people significantly diminished in numbers and power. It was the main reason her flight had isolated itself from the rest of the world. Few knew the ancient dragons were gone from the world, making the stories and myths they left behind a sufficient deterrent.

  Unfortunately, over time, the fear the shorter-lived races had towards her people faded year by year. Until, finally, five years ago, the unthinkable happened. Rather than mortals simply testing their borders, someone had decided to attack the dragons directly.

  It was the undead. Even to this day, Senotraxia had been unable to figure out the true mastermind behind the attacks. All her people could do year after year was hold strong against the endless tide until the winter months would grant them some reprieve. Already, several dragons had been killed, and many hoards looted as her flight had to give up some territory to avoid being stretched too thin.

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  ‘Thank you, everyone, for coming. I know this was a sudden ask and was a long flight for many of you.’ Senotraxia greeted the others.

  ‘I won’t say I’m not annoyed, but I would like to think you must have a good reason to call for an assembly now rather than wait for winter. I do hope we can make this quick, though, my hoard has been getting hit harder than normal’. An old dragon spoke up. He was one of the few dragons from the older generations still around, having never quite stepped foot into the divinity.

  ‘I do, as time is precious for us all, I will get straight to the point.’ Senotraxia looked around the valley to ensure she had everyone’s attention.

  ‘After five years, we have made no progress in driving back the undead. Every year, they push us harder and harder despite our best efforts to find the source.’ She paused for a moment, then continued, as this next part was hard for a race as naturally prideful as dragons.

  ‘If things don’t change, I worry within another five we may be overwhelmed. Loath as I am to say this, I believe this is the time we reach out for help.’ She stopped there, waiting for the reactions.

  None of the dragons looked happy with her words, but many she could see a reluctant acceptance in their faces. If she said the same thing in the first year or two, most of the dragons here would have been outraged. But after five years, even the most prideful of dragons could see there was no end in sight.

  As expected through, some dragons still protested.

  ‘Outside help! My Queen, we are not in such dire straits that we need to reach out to others. As well as, there are no other dragon flights of strength we know of left on this continent. Surely you don’t suggest we reach out to the lesser races?’ The dragon who spoke up was Baraxis, a stubborn dragon from her own generation who viewed all other races as below dragons. While any dragon with an ounce of self-respect would agree, few outright reviled the other races as Baraxis did.

  ‘I’m afraid I do,’ She simply answered.

  Even Senotraxia considered dragons as a whole to be the supreme race of the world. Thought it was only as a whole. There were always exceptions when it came to individuals. Ones that rose above, or in Baraxis’s case, fell short.

  ‘I won’t deny that year after year the undead grow in strength, but we have improved our defense and strategies as well. You even said it yourself, we are years away from the undead truly threatening to overtake the mountains.’ He protested.

  Senotraxia simply shook her head. ‘To be honest, before this last trip, I would have agreed with you. Unfortunately, I think things are only going to get worse and much faster than we can respond to on our own.’

  ‘What did you learn, Sen?’ Asked Taythes, another dragon of her generation who served as her right hand. While Senotraxia was strong enough to lead the dragons, Taythes was invaluable as an advisor, keeping issues from reaching a point where her strength was required.

  ‘I fear the undead are soon to not be our only problem. I ran into a gnoll who already learned of our weakened state.’ She relayed to the group.

  ‘My Queen, I’m not sure I would call the Gnolls a threat, yes, we will need to keep a careful eye on the younger dragons, but little else.’ One of the dragons said.

  ‘Don’t underestimate the Gnolls, they're clever and cruel. Let alone the poisons they pride themselves on so much. But even then, you’re not seeing the bigger picture. Can we handle any new threat and the undead at the same time? Maybe we could, but there would be losses, and we could lose more hoards. But more than that, if the Gnolls know about our situation, then it’s safe to assume others do as well. How many threats and from how many directions can we handle before we break?’ No one had a retort to that as much as she could see many of the dragons wished they did. Admitting their flight was not strong enough to defend itself was hard to accept.

  ‘But who could we even ask for help?’ This time, a younger female dragon spoke up. She was simply attending with her father, so Senotraxia was surprised to see the woman in attendance, let alone speak up.

  ‘At this point, I’m not sure there is anyone of significant strength we could. But what if, rather than ask for others to lend us forces, we make our own?’ Senotraxia asked with a grin.

  ‘Make our own?’ Taythes asked.

  ‘The gnoll was not the only being I ran into in the forest. The continent as a whole is in a state of disorder. Refugees from all around are trying to find new homes. Including a tribe of dragonewts.’ Senotraxia said.

  ‘Dragonewts? I don’t think any of the thin bloods have relation to our flight. One dragon spoke up with disgust. To a fair number of dragons, especially the older ones, lying with the other races was looked upon with disgust. In the same light as if a human slept with a goat. But the fact that it happened enough times that there was an entire race with dragon ancestors proved what people said was very different from what happened behind closed doors.

  ‘While true dragonsnewts tend to look up to and worship any dragons. This particular tribe seemed rather amicable and sought to start a new home. I propose granting them permission to settle at the edge of the forest and encouraging them to bring in the various refugees. They are already indebted to me after I saved them from said gnoll and his men.

  We have all heard stories of dragons on the western continent who rule their own nations populated mainly by the other races. Why can’t we do the same?’ Senotraxia asked the group.

  ‘Saving thin bloods? Is that where you were? Is that why you were late to return?’ one of the dragons spoke up. Senotraxia didn’t like the accusatory tone, but she knew the old wyrm was in mourning. His grandson had been killed shortly before her return.

  ‘Sarbrax, I mourn the loss of your grandchild as I would any of our kin. So out of respect, I will ignore your tone. But if you mean to imply I am responsible for their death, that is another story’, she replied as she stared the old dragon down. Now was not the time for dissent among her flight. She had learned of the child’s death shortly after she returned. Much as she wished she could deny it, there was a chance she could have saved them had she returned when planned. But that was a big if. The mountains the dragons called home were sprawling. More than likely, she would have still learned only after it was too late. Whereas she knew with certainty that had she not intervened, the gnoll would have wiped out the dragonewts. As well as killing Nell, or worse, delivering her into the hands of the Kohdessian royalty.

  Thankfully, a strong glare was all it took to get the other dragon to back down, ‘No, my queen, I do not.’

  ‘I truly doubt a handful of thin bloods and other lesser races will be of much help. Could it truly have been worth it?’ another dragon asked dismissively.

  ‘For now, that is true, but we need to start somewhere. Given time, they could build up into a force strong enough to help. As well as give us a starting place to build ties with nations. From a pragmatic standpoint, worst case, they would be an early warning and buffer from threats to the west, so we can focus on the eastern side of the mountains. I will also note Old Gray moved his pack out west and would likely lend a paw if for no other reason than to defend his new territory.’

  ‘Establishing trade would be a boon for many of us if we seek new additions to our hoards as well. There are a few pieces I still need to complete my own collections.’ Senotraxia smirked as she saw many of the other dragons thinking about how they could use the chance to expand their own piles of treasure—no better way to motivate a dragon than through greed.

  ‘Are we all in agreement then? To let the dragonewts settle in the forest under our rule and establish trade?’ she asked as she looked around to the others. While some were not happy, none disagreed. Not that she expected them to, her word was law, and even foolish dragons like Baraxis knew how to read the room. The fact that she consulted them at all was considered a kindness, as tyranny was the only form of government dragons ever held. Senotraxia liked to think she was at least a benevolent tyrant.

  Now that the topic of dragonewts was settled, it was time to propose her truly outrageous plan.

  ‘Now that we have that settled, I have one other item I would like to discuss. I plan to take a consort.’ The calm, if somewhat strained, meeting erupted into pure chaos. Senotraxia grimaced, knowing how much worse it would get when she told them who she had in mind.