Everburn says "It was another dragon.”

  “What?! Another dragon attacked you?! How did it get in here? Why would another dragon attack you?!”

  Everburn says “What have I told you about multiple questions!?”

  “Alright, fine. Then why don’t you just explain. Tell me more than that a dragon attacked you.”

  Everburn says “I don’t know how he found us, but he was probably after the egg. A dragon egg contains a massive amount of mana, enough to keep a dragon active for years even with weak mana. I know what you are thinking, but it isn’t that uncommon. Dragons don’t see dragons of different colors as being related. It’s one of the reasons we took as many precautions as we did.”

  “Well, that’s disturbing! I guess that my image of the dragons as the perfect race was just a fantasy. Then again, there probably isn’t any such thing as a perfect race. So, what else can you tell me about the dragon?”

  Everburn says “He was bigger than me, which means he is older than me.”

  “Was he as wounded as you at the end?”

  Everburn says “Yes, maybe worse. He expected to just roll right over me. I surprised him by being stronger than me, but he injured me severely despite that because I wasn’t on guard.”

  “Before I make my next suggestion, let me ask, do you have any problem having help in a fight?”

  Everburn says “No, I dealt with my foolish pride when I was much younger.”

  “Then what would you say to me finishing healing you up and then the two of us going after him?”

  Everburn says “Before, I would have said no, my reserves were too low, but now, thanks to those delicious giants, I say yes. I don’t suppose that you have any more of them?”

  “Not on me, but I know where plenty more are. You would just need to kill them, but be warned, their weapons will penetrate your scales.”

  Everburn says “Not with the mood I am in right now, they won’t even get a chance to attack me. Keep in mind, I like my meat burnt.”

  “Fair enough. Oh, right, what breath weapon did the gold have?”

  Everburn says “Fire, just like me. That’s why it came down to teeth and claws.”

  “Did he gate out or run out?”

  Everburn says “He ran, but why does that matter?”

  “Well, unless you know where his lair is, we are going to have to track him.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Everburn says “Good point.”

  “So, do we track him first, or go fill your belly first?”

  Everburn says “Unless you are sure you can track him without being detected, I should eat first.”

  “In that case, let’s go get you a meal. Oh, are you going to want me fighting next to you, or would you prefer me on your back?”

  Everburn says “As much as I don’t like it, you had better be on my back. It is only going to be this once, so don’t get used to it. I just don’t want to step on you and you are still slower than me.”

  “Uh, thanks?”

  I take out the crystal and use the remaining mana in it to open a gate to the edge of the mountains. The distance uses up a lot of the mana, but most of it goes to making the gate big enough for Everburn. Once we are through and the gate is closed, I shapeshift into my dragonoid form.

  Everburn says “Now that is a form that suits you!”

  “Thanks, my wives helped me with it.”

  Everburn says “Well, that’s obvious. It is far too complete for you to have come up with it yourself. Now, where are we going?”

  As I am carefully climbing onto Everburn’s back, I explain what I have learned about the mountains. I also explain about the barrier that I cannot detect and my theories about how it works. I am having a very hard time keeping my excitement hidden, I am about to ride a real dragon!

  I have to hold it in, if Everburn realizes how excited I am he will never let me live it down. I get more than enough teasing from my wives, I don’t need to get more from him. By the time I am done explaining, Everburn has already taken off and flown over the mountain.

  Everburn slows down and circles once above the barrier, then passes through it, but he slows again afterwards. I quickly understand why as he starts taking deep breaths, the higher mana density. To him, it probably feels amazing, even more so than it does to me, so I don’t say anything.

  He glides along the valley, but even though I spot a couple of patrolling giants, he ignores them. My guess would be that he wants to find a group that is big enough to satisfy his hunger in one go. Chasing down smaller groups would probably take a lot more energy, meaning he would need to eat more.

  “Everburn, just curious, but is the mana density here high enough to sustain you?”

  Everburn says “For now, yes. If you are talking long term, then no, I would still need naps occasionally. Although, a younger dragon could probably stay awake in here full time.”

  “When mana is at its strongest, is it higher outside than it is in here right now?”

  Everburn says “Yes, when it is at its peak, it is. However, that only lasts a century, not enough for dragons my age to be very active for more than half of it.”

  “If it is that bad, why do you stay?”

  Everburn says “Do you know how much mana a gate between planets takes? Where are we supposed to get that kind of mana when we can barely gather enough to survive?”

  “Oh, I guess I didn’t think of that. So, if you had the mana to, would you leave?”

  Everburn says “At this point, I would wait until the egg hatches and my child is mature. Then I would probably want to leave. Hold on!”

  I wasn’t paying attention, but Everburn has found a group of twenty or so giants. He warned me right before he began his dive attack on them and it saves me from falling off. Watching him wipe them all out with one breath attack makes me really glad that I am immune to fire.

  I was planning to ask to have the essences, but I forget about that when he starts eating. He is eating the corpses, armor and all, in just a few bites for each one and I am scared to interrupt. In just a couple of minutes, all that is left of the giants is some blood pools and ashes.

  Everburn says “That hit the spot! I can’t remember the last time I felt full! I’m ready, let’s get going.”

  “We need to leave the barrier for me to be able to open a gate.”

  Everburn says “Alright.”

  He crouches slightly and that is the only warning I get before he launches into the air. I could almost swear that he is trying to throw me just so he can laugh at me, but I refuse to allow that. Once he is in the air he flies due north, the closest edge of the barrier to our current location.