Now that I'm reasonably fluent in Draconian, it's time for my meeting with Renxing. I recently realized that Renxing is not a dragon name. I asked shaman Farat if he knew the origin of the name, and he said it seems to come from a human dialect spoken on another continent.

I don't know the exact geography of this world, but it seems that we are on an isolated continent inhabited only by monsters. Something like the Australia of this world.

Across the great ocean to the east is a human empire, the dwarven kingdom, the halvean, and the high elven kingdom.

On the western continent, there are human and wood elven kingdoms. 

Crossing the sea to the southwest, there are more human kingdoms, the kingdom of the black elves, and the sultanates of desert elves.

And to the northwest, there is another human empire, the oni shogunate, a kingdom of humanoid dragons, and a vast confederation of beastfolks. It is from this continent that Renxing must have come from.

 

§ § § § § §

 

I soar through the snowstorm in the skies of the Mountains of Korath. This cold annoys me in an irrational way, perhaps because I am a fire dragon. I don't know how Korath manages to live here. I suppose those feathers of hers must provide resistance to the cold. Lightning breath and cold resistance... What a trickster, combining different elements.

I could go around the mountain range, but it would take too long. I've already wasted enough time learning Draconian.

To be honest, going around the mountains would only delay the journey by a few days, but I simply can't wait any longer. All the dragons I've seen so far have been either wyverns or drakes. Renxing will be the first loong dragon I'll meet.

As I cross the mountain range, I approach the coastline. I am now in the Bay of Zord. Renxing's lair must be somewhere around here.

After two days of circling the region, I spotted a coastal orc city. It is quite large, the biggest city I’ve seen so far. It's better to avoid it for now. As I move away from the city's outskirts, I fly over a boat of orc fishermen. Apparently, they had a good catch. There is plenty of food, and I am hungry... I mean, I need information about Renxing's whereabouts…

I land on top of the vessel to the dismay of the orcs who jump into the water, except for one of them. That's good because it saves me the trouble of having to pick them out of the water like a seagull catching fishes.

"You shouldn't be here, monster!" He yells in my direction. This orc has grayish-green skin and orange hair.

"And why not?" I ask as I start to gobble up the fish. Orcish is quite similar to goblinoid, so it has been easier for me to learn.

"These shores are protected by a divine beast. It will strike you down." He says confidently. 

"A divine beast?!" I ask with a reptilian grin on my face. I slowly approach the orc who visibly begins to tremble. 

"Tell me, where can I find this divine beast?"

 

§ § § § § §

 

In the sapphire blue waters that wave beneath the cliffs to the north, I finally encounter the one I seek. Or rather, he finds me.

Renxing emerges from the sea and begins to serpentine fly towards me. His body is covered in silver scales, and a dorsal crest of turquoise-blue feathers adorns him from head to tail. His small limbs contrast with his long, sinuous body. He must be about 12 to 18m  (40~60’) in length. Immense, but not overwhelmingly so. Ralkor said he wasn't much older than me. If things get tough, I have a chance to win.

"Renxing! I am Akalani. I have come in search of you." I speak in Draconian as he approaches.

The loong dragon serpentines around me, observing me closely. He glides through the air with grace, like a ribbon of satin.

"Fancy..." I mutter in spite, and then I hear his calm and polished voice.

"You have come seeking a battle? To claim these waters?" He asks. 

"I have come here for you to teach me." I responded, surprising him. 

"To teach you?" He asks, intrigued. 

"I want you to teach me the way of your kin to fly." 

"You want me to teach you the Dragon Dance? Ha ha. Very well..."

Neat! He agreed quite easily. Things are going smoothly. It feels like I'm playing on easy mode.

Renxing continues to circle me slowly as he explains the secret of the loongs' flight.

"The magical power that allows you, wyverns, to fly is the most basic of all. It is simply about controlling your descent." 

"Descent?" I say, confused. 

"Exactly. Your fall. The Dragon Flight that wyverns use decreases your body weight and the speed at which you fall. Enough for your wings to lift you up and propel you forward.

The simplicity of it and the low effort involved allows your kin to fly long distances. A fairly simple but effective technique. Many other creatures have copied it, including humanoids who created a spell called Feather Fall.

Our technique, on the other hand, is more complex and powerful, and cannot be sustained for long periods of time. It requires a great amount of raw power to propel our bodies upward and the finesse to control it, allowing us to glide through the air. In a constant movement and perfect balance, like a dance. The Dragon Dance."

"And would you teach me this dance?"

"I could try... But first, I would like to know what you would do with such power." 

"I’d become stronger." I respond bluntly, finding the question rather foolish. 

"I cannot pass on such power without being certain that it will be used in the right way. Tell me, Redsky, what do you intend to do? What do you aim to become?"

Why is everyone so concerned about my future? Isn't it enough that my parents and my therapist are already on my case? Now the orc Farat and even this flying noodle are questioning me about what I'm going to do.

"I don’t know... yet..." I hesitantly respond.

"Then I cannot teach you. Come back when you have an answer."

What? I was so close. The frustration causes me to lose control once again.

"If you don't want to teach me, I'll make you." I threaten as I charge towards the loong. I know this is a terrible idea, but I just can't control myself.

"I knew you had a violent nature." Renxing sighs with regret. 

I try to grab him with my talons, like an eagle trying to catch a big snake, but he is too fast. The way he serpentines through the skies... It truly looks like a dance.

Unable to engage in close combat, I open my mouth and unleash a torrent of flames at him. However, this time Renxing doesn't try to dodge. On the contrary, he counterattacks.

The loong dragon also opens his mouth and shoots a column of blue flames that cuts through my breath and hits me directly. His blue flames are not only hotter than my red flames, but also more concentrated. While my breath is a wide cone, meant to spread over a large area, his breath is a straight line that hits only a single target.

I am thrown against the cliff wall. With difficulty, I regain control of my flight before plunging into the sea. The loong dragon positions itself in front of me, but this time, words spit from his mouth instead of fire.

"Listen to me, Redsky. For this is the first and last warning I give you. You are violent and inclined towards evil. Return to your lair and feed only on the beasts of the wild. Stay away from cities and dare not trouble the civilized world. For if I hear from you again, I shall come straight to you and slay you."

With these final threats, Renxing departs before I can retaliate, submerging into the waters of Bay of Zord. Hurt, I go up the cliff and land to recover as I watch him disappear.

Great. Now I'm not sure if he fled from me or spared me. But both options annoy me. It seems that in order to become stronger with the Dragon Dance, I first need to defeat Renxing and make him my pawn. I need to take advantage of the fact that he's not much older or stronger than me, because I definitely won't stand a chance against older loongs.

It will have to be him.

 

Just wait, flying noodle. You will hear plenty about me. And when you come after me, I'll be waiting with my wings wide open...