Skirting on the edge of the amphitheater, the ladies slowly made their way to the side closest to the central platform, doing their best to avoid garnering too much attention this early. Thankfully, most attendees were focused on wondering what the sudden meeting was called for, possibly not expecting any more mentor showcases and presentations if those were scheduled ahead of time. Asterios could see that as a solution to people missing out on sudden arrivals of new teachers who headed straight for recruitment.

Only after they reached the ground level and met with the three males did the audience notice that their guardian had already shown up with a small company. It was clear that in such a tightly-knit community most residents knew each other so Asterios spotted a few curious looks given to Phatru and Rusilthea, perhaps even more than Althea received. The Hall of Enlightenment was supposed to be a place for mentors so a stranger coming forward was not as unexpected as two local females, additionally related to each other directly.

Taking a glance over all the gathered youth, Asterios let his mentor and the others discuss some details of the presentation. It sounded like Althea already knew most of the rules so they must be quite uniform amongst the different settlements. As his eyes scanned the small crowd, he spotted a familiar purple head amongst the attendees. Keruvia was chatting with her group while continuously peeking at her colleague next to Asterios. It was hard to pinpoint the exact emotions accompanying those, but it certainly wasn’t just pure curiosity about what was about to happen.

“Alright. Let me introduce you and then you can begin. There’s no time limit, but try not to drag it out too much,” the Nest Mother announced and he brought his attention to the stage.

A simple, wooden lectern had been properly set up in its center now, ready for the speaker to address the audience. There was only one, so it didn’t look like Phatru would be getting her own little stand, but perhaps being an assistant to a mentor wasn’t that common with the traditional, singular education.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she keeps it short.” Phatru winked at Rhufija and the two friends shared a nod.

The Nest Mother then stepped behind the lectern while Rusilthea hastily jogged to the first row to sit down. The chatter quickly faded without any further action. Giving the present Dragons one long look, the red-haired lady settled in the middle.

“Welcome again, younglings. I’m aware that this is an unscheduled event, but worry not, it won’t be the last one from our guest, so you may inform those who didn’t make it that they are welcome to show up for the following continuation in a week’s time. If nothing changes, of course,” Rhufija began.

People glanced at each other with some surprise and confusion, revealing that multi-part presentations weren’t the usual norm.

“Now, as for the reason behind this gathering, we have another mentor among us today, and after receiving two supporting votes of confidence from our friends here, I agreed to let them introduce themselves to our community. Since they aren’t planning on starting their recruitment until seven days later, I see no issue with letting them talk a little about themselves and their offer,” she continued with an even tone. “And since that offer is something unique and peculiar, you should consider their words with your undivided attention. As we often say here, a misjudgment of one creates a golden opportunity for another. From what I’ve heard already, there will be plenty of those. Please welcome Lady Althea and her assistant for this event, our dear friend Phatru.”

The final comment threw them off even more, but everyone greeted the two ladies with polite applause. Some of it more honest than others.

Althea replaced Rhufija at the front of the stage while Phatru stood next to the pulpit with a warm smile. “Greetings, everyone. It’s an honor and pleasure to be here with you today. I can honestly admit that I didn’t expect to hold something like this anytime soon, but thanks to the assistance of my dear mate, I was able to travel to this charming place from our homeworld just so that I could visit an old friend of mine. And as your Nest Mother said, opportunities are important and should not be wasted.”

Quiet murmurs filled the cascading rows, getting a slight rise from the gathered. It was not much more than the first sentences of Althea’s introduction and she had already managed to sneak a shocker into them, making a very clear insinuation.

“Before we move on, let me just preface everything by saying that I’m not too fond of idle lectures. Honestly, I dislike the lack of interaction quite heavily. Therefore, you don’t need to hold back with your questions until we finish. We’ll gladly satisfy your curiosity or doubts as we go,” she added, ignoring the faint chatter.

The audience grew quiet again and one bold male spoke up. “Does that mean you came here from another realm?”

A soft smile spread on Althea’s lips as she nodded at the man. “That is correct. I arrived at your nest about an hour or two ago. As for how and who, we’ll cover that in our presentation, either today or the next time. Some details will be brought up today for sure.”

“Can you return there?” a female asked right after.

“Anytime.” Ast’s mentor winked at her. “I just need to think about it and he’ll make it possible.”

The whispers got a bit louder this time and Phatru clapped her hands a few times while stepping forward. “Alright, kids. You can gossip about my friend’s love life later. Let’s focus on the important bits. You already know who I am, but let me just state that me and Althea are nest-sisters from the same roost. We come a long way back, and just like with our Nest Mother, I can guarantee she has our best intentions in mind and can be trusted wholeheartedly. So, here we go.”

“Thank you.” Althea nodded appreciatively at her nest-sister. “I bring you today an offer of mentorship as you might expect. But, it won’t be one as you know them. With the help of my friends and sister-mates, our small group came up with a new concept that will guarantee not just your proper education but also your safety and satisfaction. As long as you can keep an open mind.”

“What prominent Lesser Dragons did you mentor in your time? I don’t think I’m familiar with your name,” the purple-scaled woman, Keruvia, chimed in with a clearly well-aimed inquiry.

“That might be because I mentored none yet as I was away from our realms for a very long time,” Althea answered and Asterios spotted the faintest hint of a smirk on the girl’s lips. “Well, I am still in the process of teaching one Dragon, but I’ll have to save introducing him for a bit later.”

Quite a few listeners sighed tiredly and some rare cases even started to rise at that revelation. Obviously, new mentors didn’t seem to command much respect in their eyes. Those must be the people Althea had previously mentioned to Asterios as individuals seeking strong and established teachers over everything else.

“Nevertheless,” she interrupted the commotion, not dropping her kind smile. “I might not have a record of notable Lesser Dragons behind me, but I have nursed an entire civilization through a few stages of its development, raising a long line of rulers that oversee one of the major political powers in my mate’s home realm. I believe I’ve learned a lot through that experience and I’m now ready to share my decades or centuries of gathered wisdom with our brothers and sisters.”

Once again, people sat down with visible interest, some even intrigue and wonder. It was honestly extremely funny seeing the crowd switch their moods like leaves switch sides in the wind. Asterios was thankful his chuckle was completely silent at the moment. Althea might be slightly embellishing, but it was obvious she knew how to address the public to catch interest.

“So, if you aren’t sure what that means for you, it basically boils down to receiving knowledge worthy of queens and kings alongside the usual Lesser Dragon teachings every mentor throws at their disciples,” Phatru continued after her. “With how often we travel from place to place during our lives, getting a perspective on how to interact with other races will make your life much easier. Althea has not only journeyed the known worlds but also built something meaningful in one of them, leaving her mark on that realm. How many mentors can boast about that?”

And to complement her friend’s ability, the silver-haired lady knew how to touch on very specific feelings and desires of their young. Who didn’t want to lead an easy life? Who didn’t want to one day leave their mark on some world?

“Therefore, I’m here today to give you the option to go through your tutelage in that very same realm I currently live in,” Althea said loudly. “The world is vast and inhabited by many different races. But, most importantly, it’s safe. There are no True or Lesser Dragons known to the natives living there. Besides us, of course, and still only to the leaders of the main nations. They all left the realm in a hurry when its inhabitants started fighting back the abuse with powerful artifacts. Now, the peaceful times are back, and a new sanctuary grows for us amongst the existing nations, which will welcome all as long as they behave.”

“There really is a world without lizards?” some man wondered out loud.

“That doesn’t sound possible. There are always a few around at the very least,” another commented.

“Think about it,” Phatru inserted herself once more. “What reason does she have to make such boldly misleading statements? She lived there for ages, witnessing all of that happening before her eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to provide us with a place to comfortably live and learn.”

“I might not have a reason to lie, but I do have a reason for telling you all of this,” Ast’s wise mate picked up after her. “And that’s because I’m now involved with that very nation which is going to welcome us with open arms. To be specific, my mate is its sole ruler, alongside his small and supportive harem. For a little bit of occasional, supportive service from you, he is going to ensure your safe and satisfied stay.”

“Just imagine that.” Rusilthea’s mother swiped her arm slowly in the front. “You get to study under your mentor while living alongside a real king. You won’t ever lack anything if you behave well. And from what I heard, he is a massive lover of all magical beasts, legendary creatures, and exotic races. You know well into which category we fall into in most realms. This is a chance to learn, be revered, and even gather fighting experience against monsters of that world. Nothing will get you more ready for the future.”

The duo paused for a moment to let their words sink, Althea’s very technical information alongside Phatru’s rather emotional callouts. They definitely worked well together. It was quite fascinating to think how many people they had caught in their honey traps in the past. The silver tongues necessary for that were clearly there.

“Now, as enticing as all of that sounds, there are also certain requirements that need to be fulfilled,” Althea said after a while. “The most crucial one is related to the way you will be able to travel between our two realms. My mate is well-versed in Summoning Magic, and his powerful familiar contracts allow him and his mates to traverse through the gates at will. That’s how I got here, and that’s how we are going to let you do the same, offering you contracts with his chosen, trusted people.”

“Are you asking us to become the familiars of some strangers?” a girl questioned, a bit shocked.

“Yes, that’s currently the simplest and safest way since we will be able to know if anything unfortunate happens during your tutelage and allow us to help you out,” the emerald-scaled lady explained calmly.

Phatru scoffed at the audience. “You make it sound like it’s a big deal when each one of you literally swears an oath to follow a single, total stranger into the world for decades. How is this any different, huh? Besides presenting you even more benefits. Both agreements are temporary in nature, and honestly, it’s the one we go into that’s more restricting. There’s no one around to help if you get yourself into an unfavorable accord. You can try to leave on your own, but good luck with that. I’ll wish you the best in trying to get accepted by another mentor.”

“And that’s going to be another unique element of our approach,” Althea followed. “If in the following week, any traveling mentors come by and you seek them out with the intention of finding out more about me, you might learn that I abandoned my mentor, but not that it was an unfair and abusive relationship near the very end. To prevent that from happening to more young individuals, I’m going to mentor our disciples alongside Phatru, the two of us working together to share our everything with you.”

“That’s just… weird,” someone said from the back rows.

“Yeah, the journey is supposed to be in pairs,” another female shouted.

“And who dictates that?” Rusi’s mom put her hands on her hips. “Last I checked, there were no rules stating that other ways are forbidden or even worse. Otherwise, the Nest Mother wouldn’t even allow us to speak up here. You are lost too deeply in your preconceptions and delusions.”

“I think anyone has the right to pick their own path, be it a traditional or progressive one,” her best friend continued before more voices joined in. “And with the two of us teaching you, it will be possible to study not only under both of us but also under either of us if someone finds themselves incompatible with one of our personal ways of sharing knowledge and experience. Lesser chances of being trapped in a tough mentorship.”

“Plus, thanks to the familiar contract, you will be able to run here to escape and even share your troubles with everyone else. Granted, you first somehow decide not to talk to either of us about the other, or the people in that realm, especially the nation’s leader,” Phatru added. “The Summoners won’t be able to keep you on a leash forever, that’s not how this magic works. Something like that would drain them and they would need to let you return here. I’m sure our Nest Mother would jump to your aid right away.”

“And, you wouldn’t exactly be alone in the other realm either,” Althea stated, making the audience confused again. “In seven days, we are going to accept six volunteers for this new program of ours. Yes, you heard that right, just as we are going to have multiple mentors, there are going to be multiple disciples too. From decades of personal observation, I believe the lone road isn’t for everyone and many of us actually feel much better learning alongside our peers. Naturally, this doesn’t mean you will all sit, study, and train together while doing the same thing. No, you will just have a chance to interact with your colleagues and exchange experiences with them.”

“Before you call that stupid too, just look around.” Phatru spread her arms wide. “Look. Do it. What do you see?”

Silence answered her, at least until Rusilthea hesitantly replied from the first row. “People?”

Her mother grinned proudly. “Exactly. Until the very moment we leave on the journey with our mentors, we live, laugh, and learn amongst the others. Some of us do it in small families with paired parents, and some of us do it in bigger roost families with doting caretakers. And then, after we finish our travels, what do we do? Most of us either return to our birth nest or find another one to settle down in, maybe temporarily before switching things up. But, we rarely continue on alone. It’s pretty much only mentors who walk that path, and we all know that it’s not for everyone. So, why not just live through our entire lives like this? Because someone else said so?”

“Because there are no alternatives.” Althea leaned forward on the lectern, sweeping the crowd with her gaze. “There were not, until now. And that’s what we offer you. An alternate path. Full of new opportunities, new benefits, but also possibly new challenges to face head on. Think about what you want in your life, and we will hear your answer next week.”

Stepping away from the pulpit, she outright ignored the uproar caused by their words and the abrupt end. Questions and comments flew freely, turning into a jumbled mix of echoing noises. The acoustics of the amphitheater were perfect for speeches from the stage, but when the audience got involved, things didn’t travel around that well.

Making use of the commotion, Phatru took her place and raised her voice over the crowd. “By the way, Rusilthea has already been accepted and went through all the necessary steps and rituals. She’ll see for herself how things look on the other side over the mentioned week. Be nice, and she might even let you know about a thing or two. Also, she doesn’t count as one of the six. Yes, it’s unfair, but so is life. Her opportunity was knowing someone who could get her in and she made wise use of it. Try not to waste yours. That’s all.”

That only elevated the chaos and the duo hastily walked off the stage, regrouping with Rhufija, her mates, and Rusilthea. The Nest Mother nodded at the men and they nodded back, moving away to start dousing the flames of emotions that had taken the rows by storm. The others transformed quickly and flew back to the tower, landing in the same chamber they had started from.

After turning back, the scarlet lady turned to the pair of new mentors. “That was… a spectacle. Others rarely evoke such a reaction from the younglings. You knew exactly what to say to pull at their heartstrings, and how to wrap it up to leave them thinking about everything deeply.”

The two women exchanged glances and chuckled together.

“Others lack the experience you gain in a royal court, instead going out on a trip around the different worlds without much interaction with their residents. Verbal battles against crafty and knowledgeable opponents hone your skills amazingly well. After long enough, you understand how to address people of all statuses and positions effectively,” Althea explained.

“Plus, we’ve always had a knack for getting into people’s heads.” Phatru shot her a grin. “There was no trouble that my glib tongue didn’t get us out of. She bored our target to death with technical aspects while I played the emotional angle. Even our past Nest Mother fell to that combination once or twice.”

“Then she realized what was happening and everyone was warned not to treat us like kids, ending our fun for good,” Ast’s mentor added with a matching expression.

“You didn’t have to put me on a spot like that, though,” Rusilthea complained with a slightly pale complexion, clearly anxious about the last stunt her mother had pulled.

“It was a perfect follow-up,” the Nest Mother replied. “Althea’s last words left everyone craving more information, and then Phatru gave them a subtle opportunity to satisfy that craving. Those smart enough will notice that her main objective wasn’t to boast but point them out to a person that might help them get chosen.”

“Still, you should have consulted or at least warned me.” The young Dragon sighed. “This is going to be a pain.”

“I have one question. Why haven’t you even hinted about revealing a quite big and important bit during the next meeting?” Rhufija asked.

“Finishing how we did, only those seriously considering our offer are going to come the second time. If we put focus on some grand reveal that will shock everyone, we would still attract the curious crowd who would be there only for the sake of seeing what it was. Without them, the audience will be less quarrelsome.”

“I see. That is certainly accurate. You really learned a lot from your time guiding those rulers.” The Nest Mother regarded her with faint respect in her wise eyes. “What are your plans now?”

Asterios slithered out of Althea’s shadow and stood next to his mate. “Go back home and get to training. The ladies will show Rusilthea around while I start tearing holes in the fabric of dimensions. That sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?”