Chapter 134: Chapter 134: The Call

That night Dragon King Adonis relayed a declaration to every corner of Dragonia.

〖 Citizens of Dragonia, this is your King, Adonis.

It has been three centuries since our great defeat at the Linea’s Battlefield. For too long, the human kingdoms have bound us to this continent, exploiting our resources and slaughtering our younglings in their pursuit of vain pride.

But that era has come to an end.

If you wish to see our race rise once more, to reclaim the pride and dignity of Dragons, and to stand at the peak where we rightfully belong, then join me in the creation of the Pandemonium’s Order.

There will be justice for the innocent, and ascension to the ultimate power.

The Order awaits your strength and your will. Rise, Dragonia! 〗

–

–

A bright day.

Two young dragons were playing under a massive banyan tree.

“Raza, have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Hehe, you don’t know. Then I am sure you’ll love this news.”

“Argh, out with it already Sima.”

“Hehe, I heard our Dragon King is recruiting soldiers for his new army. The Pandemonium’s Order, they call it. The pay is high, and there is a big chance of rising in ranks.”

Raza’s eyes lit up.

“Are you saying the truth, Sima? His majesty is really rebuilding the army?”

The excitement in his eyes was so infectious that even the tree leaves started dancing in joy.

Sima, the white dragon, nodded. “Yes. Why would I lie?”

“Roar!” Raza excitedly released a roar, pumping his chest while looking at the sky.

“This is it. I’ve been dreaming of a way to get close to his majesty and repay for his kindness. I shall join his army and be eternally loyal to him.”

Sima pouted. “Hmph, hmph, don’t forget me, you fool. I’m also going with you.”

Similar incidents were happening all over the Dragon Kingdom.

In the northern settlement:

“Mother, I want to enlist in Pandemonium’s Order.”

“But you are only 90 years old, Sera.”

“That is old enough to fight.”

“Ha ha, you have never fought anything larger than a mountain goat.”

“Then this will be excellent practice.”

“Sera!”

“Mother, did you hear his declaration? Three centuries. We have been shrinking for three centuries. I do not want to spend the next three centuries doing the same thing.”

“…”

“Mother?”

“Give me a moment.”

“Are you, are you also considering enlisting?”

“I said give me a moment.”

—

At the training grounds:

“Instructor, I want to join the Order.”

“Haha, you cannot even transform fully yet.”

“I know. Train me.”

“Boy, the Order will have the strongest dragons in Dragonia. You think you can keep up?”

“Maybe not now. But eventually.”

“…”

“Instructor?”

“Get on the ground. Two hundred scales down push-ups. Now.”

“Does that mean yes?”

“It means stop talking and start training.”

—

At the elder council chambers:

“Elder Vorath, you cannot be serious.”

“I am completely serious.”

“You fought in Linea’s battlefield. You are four hundred years old.”

“Which means I remember what we lost there better than anyone sitting in this room.”

“You are retired.”

“I was retired. Our King just un-retired me.”

“Vorath, you have a bad knee.”

“Ha ha, our new king has a bad kingdom to rebuild. My knee will manage.”

“This is completely unreasonable.”

“Yes. Write it down somewhere. Three centuries from now, remind me I was unreasonable.”

—

At the outer settlement nests:

“Did you hear Borra? The King’s declaration?”

“I heard it. I have been standing here since it ended.”

“And?”

“And I have been trying to think of one good reason not to enlist.”

“Have you found one?”

“No.”

“Neither have I.”

“My wife will be furious.”

“Mine too.”

“Should we tell them before or after we enlist?”

“After seems safer.”

“After it is.”

—

At the dragon academy:

“Professor, can students enlist?”

“Absolutely not.”

“But the declaration said every dragon who wishes to see our race rise again.”

“Shut it, kid. You are just fifteen.”

“But Raza is younger and he already told everyone he is enlisting.”

“Raza is a special case.”

“Because the King blessed him personally?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will ask the King to bless me personally.”

“You will do no such thing.”

“Professor, with respect, you cannot stop all of us.”

“How many of you are there?”

“The whole class.”

The Professor: “…”

“Professor?”

“Go to your seats. All of you. We are going to have a very long conversation about timing and patience and why those are also weapons.”

“Does that mean you will help us enlist when we are ready?”

“It means sit down before I change my mind.”

—

“Your highness, they started gathering at dawn,” Orvyn said to Adonis. “You may want to see it.”

Adonis went to see it.

He stood at the upper ridge overlooking the main courtyard of the palace grounds, and what stretched below him in the early morning light stopped him completely.

The line began at the enlistment table Rai had set up the previous evening and extended out through the courtyard gate, down the pale stone path, through the settlement below, and continued beyond the first tree line into the valley beyond.

He could not see the end of it.

“How many?” he asked Orvyn, who had followed him.

“We stopped counting 1,000,” Orvyn said pleasantly. “And that was an hour ago.”

Adonis said nothing for a long moment.

Below, the line moved with slow, patient order. Dragons of every age and bloodline grade, some in human form, some too large for comfortable transformation and simply waiting in their natural state, which created certain organizational challenges for the dragons staffing the table but none of them were complaining.

Raza was near the front.

Sima stood beside him, arms folded, pretending to be calmer than she was.

“Stop making fire,” Sima said.

“I cannot help it,” Raza said. “I am too excited.”

“You are setting that man’s tail on fire.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Raza.”

“I said sorry.”

“Look, his majesty is watching us. Behave properly Raza.”

Raza felt nervous when he met their King’s gaze.

For some reason, he didn’t want to disappoint the King who blessed him first.

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