“That would be much appreciated.” The Oracle made a polite bow. “As long as it’s of no bother.”

Asterios shrugged lightly. “Not really. We can’t promise to be too thorough in that investigation, but a quick look won’t hurt. We’ll let you know what we find out.”

“Maybe that Lady is just taking a big old nap?” Grea smirked. “Do True Dragons hibernate?”

“I wouldn’t assume the ones sharing their affinity with ice do,” Selene replied with a ladylike chuckle.

“Food coma, then.” The crimson-skinned woman nodded to herself confidently. “I bet she inhaled the fattest one in her life and then wasn’t able to move around. It’s not like anyone has been at her place since she disappeared, no?”

Ecu shook her head, dragging her long whiskers over the icy floor. “No, I don’t think so. It’s extremely high up on that peak. Only through flying can one even reach that height. The winds surrounding it aren’t weak either. Not even Mammoth Eagles dare to approach their vicinity.”

“Well, in any case, if she is asleep or something, let’s just hope we don’t accidentally wake her up and earn her ire for disturbing her beauty sleep.” Asterios smiled wryly. “We wouldn’t want to make the situation even worse by bringing her wrath on these lands by accident.”

“As long as we lure her towards the Frost Titans, we could let her take it out on them instead,” Bryn suggested. “Granted, we first would need to know where they come from.”

“They have settled back in the mountains after her disappearance. Her peak might still be too scary for them to wander into, but the nearby formations and caves are infested with them,” the sealfolk lady informed them. “That plan could work if you managed to show her all those vermin plaguing her territory. Cleaning it up from the intruders might precede chasing after whoever disturbed her slumber.”

“We’ll need to be careful anyway,” Silvia commented. “We don’t want a repeat of our first encounter.”

Miria glanced her way while proudly puffing her chest out. “We are nothing like we were back then! All of us got so much stronger! You got so much stronger, Silvia! And Master is now a full True Dragon! If she wants to hurt him, she doesn’t stand a chance against our combined power!”

Since her ears were covered by the fluffy hat, Asterios leaned in to place a tender peck on her rosy cheek. “Still, Silvia is right. We should try to antagonize as few of them as we can. But, if she doesn’t give us a choice, I’m not going to let her touch any of you.”

“We can stay here and speculate forever, but it won’t get us anywhere, unfortunately.” Althea smiled at them delicately. “If it becomes inevitable, I believe you are capable of facing a decently mature True Dragon on your own, Asterios. And with our assistance? I’m inclined to agree with Miria. We all saw what you did to that last creature.”

“That’s right, Master!” The panthergirl gasped in awe. “Your final attack was so incredible! It was new, wasn’t it? What was it?”

He laughed at her enthusiasm and decided to let them in on some of the theory behind it. “I knew most spells and fire would have a hard time when getting in contact with that hailstorm so I had to come up with something that would get it from the inside. I used Silvia’s Fireball as a base of the spell, fusing it with my crimson flaming energy, and then wound Selene’s mana around it, forming a thin barrier. Throwing it into a fast spinning motion, I made it pierce through the cyclone and then shatter the membrane. The densely compressed fires exploded, interrupting the currents and hurting the Frost Titan.”

“Your ability to combine all those energies still amazes me. True Dragons are just something else.” His mentor hummed. “Not that many achieve it this efficiently, from what I know. They do gain more power by drawing it from their enslaved subjects, but your bonds run so deep they seem to offer completely new possibilities, like that mighty form you assumed in the fight against the venomous serpent.”

“I certainly plan on continuing to explore those areas.” Asterios regarded all his lovely mates with a kind expression. “As long as you ladies will be willing to assist me.”

“Any time, Master!” Miria beamed at him.

“It’s not even a question, my Lord.” Selene hid her cheeky smile behind her slender fingers.

“We live together, we fight together, we grow together,” Tina stated with a fair blush.

“And fuck together!” Grea cackled, making the Summoner girl roll her eyes at her ex-professor. “If you think you are getting rid of me this early, you are so mistaken! I haven’t met even half of the dick-sucking quota my doctor ordered!”

“I received so much already, it’s only natural that I give whatever I can back to you.” Silvia stared deeply into his eyes. “Our flames exist to support each other.”

“And my debt of gratitude for saving so many of my people is not going to be repaid this easily,” Bryn added, proudly spreading her magnificent wings.

Althea slowly walked up to him and stopped short of his face. “There’s so much I desire to teach you, my beloved disciple. While I might be a new member of this family, you are welcome to use all that I am too, be it my knowledge, my abilities, my mana, or my body.”

~And don’t forget about me!~ Tia giggled in their minds.

“Of course.” Asterios chuckled. “Your lessons proved to be just as beneficial.”

~While I might not be able to offer you the same kind of bond, Master, know that I’m always at your service,~ Umbra joined in too. ~Your proficiency in my element rises gradually. Maybe when I’m finally free, I will be capable of providing more assistance.~

“You are already a great asset to the team, Umbra. I’m going to retrieve your freedom very soon. I just need to work a little more on landing where I intend to,” Asterios replied.

The ladies chuckled at him warmly and he joined them, replaying his sudden appearance deep in a heap of snow.

“Alright. We’ll be on our way, then. I wish you good luck on further expeditions, Lady Ecu.” He made a respectful bow.

“Thank you, Great Asterios.” She mirrored it. “I’ll pray for your safe travels and luck in whatever you pursue. Ohm will gladly escort you out.”

Asterios had forgotten about the walrus man as he had not spoken a single word since arriving in this chamber, but it looked like it might have been part of procedure or tradition, as even then he simply nodded and turned away to guide them. These people definitely held a lot of respect for their leader.

They were soon back outside and he turned to them with a big smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Great Asterios. And ladies. My door will always be open for you. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. Since you aren’t staying, I should get back to my responsibilities and start plotting our next expedition. The longer we wait, the less resources will be left there.”

Exchanging a few hugs and waves with them, the short sealie wandered away. Finding a more spacious spot, Asterios changed into his draconic form, evoking a plethora of reactions from the nearby folks. Most seemed excited and amazed at his magnificence.

The girls quickly climbed up on top of him and he gently lifted off, not wanting to cause a snowstorm in the middle of the settlement. As he circled above the domes of ice, a thought emerged in his mind and he started descending again, touching on the ground a bit away from the furthest line of houses.

“What are you doing, Master? Did we forget anything?” Miria asked, mirroring the others’ curiosity.

“Something that should make it a bit safer for our new friends,” he replied with a mysterious smirk.

To their slight confusion, Asterios began dragging his paws and belly over the snow as he walked forward. Coming across any boulders or rock formations, he made some slashes in them, smacking his tail into other landmarks. After about ten minutes, he had made a full circle and nodded to himself in satisfaction.

“Ah. I see.” Althea showed a knowing smile. “Yes. This might work.”

“I’m afraid I’m still missing the point of this,” Bryn admitted.

Tina’s eyes sparkled with understanding. “He is marking his territory! Leaving his scent and traces all around! It will warn other creatures not to trespass, therefore forming an invisible barrier around the village! That’s so smart!”

A rumbling chuckle rolled off Ast’s throat. “And something I can actually do now. True Dragons should be fierce enough predators to make others reconsider out of pure instinct.”

Miria then pointed to the side. “That rock looks perfect! You should pee all over it, Master!”

He snorted a brief laugh before turning his snout towards her. “I don’t think I’m that far in embracing my draconic instincts just yet. Is it something you do in your panther form?”

The panthergirl flushed with embarrassment while glancing away. “N-No… Well… Maybe a little… When I was very young…”

All the other ladies didn’t laugh so as not to make their friend ashamed any further and Asterios nuzzled his scaly nose into her cheek. Everyone then admired his work briefly before being on their way while the weather was still nice.

Asterios quickly spotted the mountain the Oracle had mentioned as it was the mightiest in its chain and easily recognizable. He locked in on the direction and pierced through the thick clouds.

It took him a moment but they managed to pop out on the other side, witnessing a beautiful, clear sky and a pleasant, mid-day sun. The temperature up there was even worse, but the ladies made sure they didn’t freeze to death by utilizing their various abilities. Barriers came in handy during such trips. And their butts were nothing but comfortable with the heated surface beneath them Asterios provided, keeping his scales hot and nice.

After a while, it was time to descend again, and they returned to the slightly gloomier part of the sky. Emerging in the close vicinity of the mountain range, they had no issues spotting the body of water at the foot of the Lady of the Lake’s peak. Not spotting any immediate dangers, Asterios brought them down to its edge.

The lake was certainly beautiful and unfrozen just as they had heard. Its water was crystal clear, allowing them to peer into its depths and admire the rocky bedding adorned with colorful rocks and possibly gems. But, calling it a lake was a slight exaggeration. While quite sizable, it wasn’t exactly that far from a big pond. If it was the owner of the home above it who had named it and herself like that, it could match the quite pretentious nature of True Dragons.

“There is something different about this lake,” Tina whispered as she dipped her finger in the icy cold water.

“Duh.” Grea snorted, doing the same with her tail, then letting out a squeal and hastily rubbing its tip between her hands to warm it up. “It’s fucking ice but like liquid.”

~I agree with Tina,~ Tia chimed in. ~The natural energy this water gives off seems somehow special. Unfortunately, I can’t be sure what it is without getting in closer contact with it.~

“Which means I would need to take a dip in it for you.” Asterios weighed that option in his mind. “Can’t say I would be too happy diving head first into something this cold.”

~I feel like you might need to swim to the very bottom,~ she added. ~But, we don’t need to do that. We can just leave it as is. It might as well be a trap of a magical sort.~

He pondered over it for a moment longer. “Tell you what. Let’s first see if the Lady is home before we try jumping into her personal pond. If we are going to try anything with it, we should do that after making sure everything else is taken care of.”

“Wise words.” Althea nodded. “Up we go, then.”

“Yay!” Miria jumped in place cheerfully. “I can’t wait to see a real True Dragon’s lair!”

“Let’s just hope our own True Dragon doesn’t get too many ideas after seeing it.” Grea snickered, elbowing him lightly with a grin.

As he transformed once more, the girls jumped on and they soared up again. Althea stayed in her humanoid form for now so they attracted less attention with two colorful spots moving over the gray and white mountains. They had an advantage of numbers and surprise that way.

Slowly but surely, Asterios climbed up alongside the rising peak. It didn’t surprise them that the very tip poked through the blanket of clouds covering the sky. Compared to the other mountains around it, the one next to the so-called lake was truly a mighty statue of rock and snow. No wonder the apex predator would choose it as their home, making quite a powerful statement.

Piercing through the fluffy obstruction, they resurfaced above the melancholic world, feeling the sun on their skin again. They still had some distance to cover and their breaths already became more noticeable amidst the extreme temperature surrounding them. Thankfully, with their means to protect each other and themselves, they had no issue with it.

Soon enough, Asterios and the ladies could see the top of the mountain. Miria was the first to spot a cave entrance in the frozen surface covering most of the peak’s upper section. The cap looked pretty much like solid ice. They warily headed its way while observing the big hole for any welcome party.

When no one showed up, he brought them closer, edging around the cavern’s maw for a few moments more. Then, they finally descended into the ominous breach, landing on the well-polished floor. It became apparent the moment they touched the ground that it was no natural formation. And so wasn’t anything else inside the masterfully sculpted chamber.

The hall they had arrived in was shaped like a massive rectangle with shiny surfaces of the most perfect ice possible. It had no blemishes or flaws, save for the floor, which did show some scratches and chips here and there, but it was no shock when the owner’s form was considered. The ice columns and the ribbing of the ceiling were untouched.

And so was the giant, intricate double-winged gate at the far end of the frosty hall.

Asterios let the girls down but stayed in his True Dragon shape, moving in front to protect them from any ambushes or surprise attacks. They approached the beautiful doors which depicted the same True Dragon on both sides as it stood on its hind legs with its upper limbs directed to the middle. It was immediately clear from its silhouette and the lack of horns that the sculpture represented a female. Most likely the Lady of the Lake.

“What now? Do we just knock?” Tina asked, looking around for a different answer. “It wouldn’t be good to attempt to break in with the host peacefully sleeping inside.”

“I say we try. Worst case scenario, you all run back to Kraedorion instantly.” He directed his draconic head at the group by his front paw and leveled them with a serious stare. “Are we clear?”

The ladies knew that a fight wasn’t their goal so they agreed. Asterios would follow them right after if things went south, first ensuring that each of them managed to jump through the gate. Thus, after receiving their non-verbal promise, he turned a little and smacked his tail into the thick gate three times, sending a wave of reverberating thuds throughout the chamber, on both sides. With how much their surroundings shook, it had to be enough.

Yet, even after a full five minutes and one more attempt through that period, no person, noise, or anything else answered them.

“She’s either dead or missing,” Grea said while wrinkling her nose. “Or put to magical sleep that can’t be disturbed without the good old dick in the cunt.”

The other girls looked at her weirdly. 

“What? Never heard of that fable? An unlucky gal falling into a deep sleep after taking the cursed aphrodisiac pill woken up only by the power of mindblowing morning sex from a charming stud of a prince?” She stared back at them with one raised brow.

“I’m almost a hundred percent sure that’s not how this story went…” Tina rubbed her temples.

Grea snorted while shrugging. “Botched down version for kids. We all know which one came first. And it definitely wasn’t the prince, heh.”

Asterios rolled his eyes with a faint smirk at the antics of his fiendish lover. “No matter what, we most likely won’t get any response. That leaves us with only one option. But, I’m also not sure if I want to attempt to break into a True Dragon’s hideout through the front gate. We’ve all seen multiple times just how strong and complex their protective formations can be from the vaults my father made.”

“With all due respect, I would like to treat your father as a unique variable,” Althea suggested. “True Dragons aren’t known for their use of magic outside of the innate abilities and elements. He was somewhat of an exception. All those various fields studied this deeply. Tell me, can you see or feel anything within these doors?”

He shook his head, examining the sculpted gate with his special sight for a while already. “Nothing. Besides the fact that they were made with magic, most likely an innate one as you have said. This ice is full of mana but otherwise doesn’t do anything else. But, it could be a trap.”

“I agree with Althea. This does feel like just a simple entrance to make a statement,” Selene commented. “In the end, who would dare to break in? That Dragon would have burst out of her lair the moment she sensed anyone approaching, not to mention hitting the front entrance.”

“I guess you are right,” he replied. “But, let’s not melt the entire thing down.”

“I’ll take care of it for you,” Silvia offered as he began shifting out of his draconic form.

She burst into flames at once, entering her fiery form in a flash. After the fire fully settled into her feminine shape and the spiritual plates of slightly darker armor adorned her alluring frame, Silvia directed her hand forward and placed it against the cold surface of the left wing. A small spiritual wave emanated from her continuously as the place she touched began boiling in a blink. Steam floated into the air as hot liquid ran down the finely-sculpted surface, and in less than a minute, she created a person-sized hole in the gate.

“Well done.” Asterios smiled at her and stood on his tiptoes to leave a tender peck on her glowing cheek as she was floating in the air slightly higher than him.

They both felt a tingling sensation and he could tell that she was smiling delicately too even without any features other than the shape of her eyes present on her face.

“After you.” Silvia gestured into the gap with a polite nod.

He walked through the hole with the others following after him shortly after Asterios confirmed that no immediate threats awaited them on the other side. When the girls joined him, he put his hands on his hips and looked around the sizable cavern spanning in front of them.

“Well, let’s see what secrets this place hides.”