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“Because their shouting would have irritated me. I put a sound dampener at the entrance as well. The old are impatient and noisy.”

She bit her tongue to stop herself at making fun of him as she often did.Are you sure you are not old then?

“I am supposed to meet them at the entrance of my lair, but we shall have them come inside to the main room. They will not appreciate following behind us like this.”

He led her there and they stood under Strolguil the Vast’s tale and mounted skull. She couldn’t help noticing his protective stance when he made her stand a little behind him.

“Are you in trouble?”

She wanted to know what they would be facing.

“No,” he chuckled. “But I will be.”

A moment later, she could hear the slow but heavy footsteps of multiple large creatures making their way down the tunnel.

Glov was the first to enter.

“I have done as you asked,” he said to Rurik quietly before walking to the other side of the main room.

The next to walk in was a dark Dragon whose scales shimmered with red when hit with torchlight. Rurik gave a small growl to that Dragon as it walked past. Amalia couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female as they made their way over to stand next to Glov.

“You are supposed to invite us into your lair, WitchSlayer,” a male, with such light lavender scales that he almost appeared white, said to them when he came into the room.

He came to stand before them a few metres away, but not near Glov or the other Dragon, as two others followed in behind him. A dark blue one and a golden one. Neither one said anything to Rurik, but they stood on both sides of the pale lavender one.

Amalia blinked when she realised she could actually tell that all three were old, especially the one in the middle. Their scales seemed to droop from their bodies and faces while eons of time seemed obvious in their eyes.

“It is also customary that you shift when you are in the presence of the Elders,” the lavender one said.

Amalia’s hand had been resting between Rurik’s shoulders and she dug her fingers lightly into his skin.

“Customary, but not law,” Rurik rebuffed.

All three of the Elders tried to look around him to see her.

“So, this is the Witch you have been allowing to roam free in your lair,” the dark blue one said, revealing to Amalia that she was a female.

“And the one who helped you take down Strolguil the Vast,” the golden one added, his voice deep.

At the mention of the Dark Witch’s name, their eyes lifted to stare at the skull mounted behind them.

“It is true! You have really slain the Vast,” the blue one said before her mouth morphed into a fanged grin. “I would know that red hair anywhere.”

“Before we truly begin the discussion, I will warn each and every one of you in my lair.” Rurik’s head turned to each of them, even to Glov and the dark red Dragon standing off to the side. It was obvious they weren’t a part of this. “That if you are to unleash fire in my home, I will not hesitate to retaliate.”

Amalia’s face paled. She only now realised she was standing around five Dragons who could cook her alive.

Chapter 41

Rurik could scent Amalia’s fear. He knew his words had caused it, but he didn’t turn to her. No, he kept his eyes focused on the three old Dragons in front of him.

He paid no attention to the other two. They were merely witnessing because they wanted to. Anyone was allowed to view a meeting with the Elders as long as they remained quiet unless spoken to.

The golden one on the left was Aneirin the Great. His title came from a vicious victory against a human army that any Dragon would have struggled against. His magic and strength were known to all. It was also because he’d been a hundred and seventy at the time, a very young dragon who hadn’t long left his parents.

The dark blue one was Nayana the Loathsome. She obtained her title by lashing out at almost every Dragon, Witch, and human she’d ever come into contact with. Most believed she would be mateless until it was discovered that a particular male Dragon happened to like her vicious tongue and claws. He was told she’d been quite beautiful when she was younger.

Rurik often felt like he related to her anger, although she was one of the main Dragons that got under his scales the quickest.