Chapter 55: Weila, Dragon Classification

Weila is a fairy dragon, born in the Fairy Wilds.

This is a realm filled with all manner of magic, wonders, mystery, and beauty, not belonging to the planet Bernardo.

While in the Fairy Wilds, the fairy dragon Weila lived atop a singing eucalyptus tree with other fey creatures such as pixies and forest sprites, stealing unicorn manes for amusement each day; the gentle unicorns never troubled it, embracing it with patience and kindness like an elderly elder and guardian.

Until one day.

After living in the Fairy Wilds for over twenty years, having grown accustomed to the same scenery, Weila suddenly conceived a whim to see the world beyond.

This thought took root in its mind and grew daily.

So, while the unicorns napped, Weila slipped away from its home, wandering alone through the vast, beautiful Fairy Wilds, savoring the feeling of freedom.

Flower seas blazed in every hue, rivers surged without pause, and the soft wind carried shimmering fairy light.

Weila became lost in the beauty of the Fairy Wilds, forgetting the unicorns’ warnings, and driven by curiosity, ventured deep into the dark, decaying forest, where it encountered the fallen and terrifying Grief-angry Fey.

Fortunately.

During its escape, it entered an unstable spatial passage and was flung into the Ser Wilds, where, after a period of adaptation, it settled down, living beside a stream just outside Needleleaf Valley as a neighbor to a group of ill-tempered bears.

It had secretly observed the bears.

Discovering these lumbering fools were slow and unperceptive, Weila, when bored, would steal their fur to weave toys, or use magic to become invisible and blow air into their nostrils, satisfying its playful nature.

After a period of slumber and awakening.

Weila felt its nest had become too small, so it decided to pluck some bear fur from the Bear Ridge to expand its little nest, and to play tricks once more on the foolish, clumsy bears.

As night deepened.

Weila moved, using invisibility to render itself unseen, suppressing its presence, slipping silently through the dense canopy until it reached Needleleaf Valley.

But unlike usual.

Before finding the clumsy bears, Weila heard a dull, thudding sound at the valley’s edge, and, driven by curiosity, could not resist drawing closer to investigate.

When it arrived, Weila was stunned.

It saw a massive dragon, its body sheathed in steel-like dragon scales and impossibly strong, repeatedly slamming its sensitive parts against a sturdy tree trunk, as if feeling no pain.

So terrifying.

So horrifying.

More frightening than the Grief-angry Fey.

Weila dared not breathe, dared not blink, fearing to draw the attention of this monstrous dragon.

It had intended to slip away quietly, but its curiosity about Garos held it back, so it cautiously observed in secret.

This dragon might be in heat, without a mate, venting its frustration on the innocent, defenseless needle pines; and from its appearance, though unusual, faint traits of red dragon and iron dragon were visible—likely a hybrid of the two.

A hybrid of the chief of the Five-Colored Dragons and the chief of the Sub-Iron Dragons must be an inherently evil dragon.

I’ve heard evil dragons have intense desires—truly so. Though still a juvenile, it doesn’t even spare trees.

If I’m discovered, with my tiny frame, one strike from its weapon—Weila shuddered at the thought, filled with dread.

Just then.

At the climax of Garos’s final violent impact, he shattered a tree trunk thick enough to require several men to encircle it into two pieces.

This horrifying sight terrified Weila to its core; its body flickered, breaking from invisibility, and it forgot to suppress its breath.

Then it saw.

The red-iron evil dragon spun its head sharply, its gaze fierce, locking directly onto Weila.

Their eyes met.

Weila froze.

“Fairy dragon.”

The moment Garos saw the fairy dragon, he paused slightly, surprised.

Dragons come in many varieties, classified according to certain traits.

Five-Colored Dragons.

—Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, Green Dragon, Black Dragon, White Dragon.

Metal Dragons.

—Gold Dragon, Silver Dragon, Brass Dragon, Bronze Dragon, Copper Dragon.

Gem Dragons.

—Amethyst Dragon, Sapphire Dragon, Emerald Dragon, Topaz Dragon, Crystal Dragon.

These three categories are the most numerous and relatively common dragons, known as Main-Class Dragons.

Iron Dragon, Cobalt Dragon, Chromium Dragon, Nickel Dragon, Tungsten Dragon—Sub-Iron Dragons form another major category, but are far fewer in number than the three main classes.

There are many other such dragons.

Such as Sun Dragon, Moon Dragon, Star Dragon—Cosmic Dragons.

Fairy Dragon, Abyss Dragon, Astral Dragon, Hell Dragon—Planar Dragons.

Earth Dragon, Jiao Dragon, Forest Dragon, Sky Dragon, Imperial Dragon—Imperial Dragons.

Time Dragon, Energy Dragon, Rainbow Dragon—Legendary Dragons.

Plutonium Dragon, Blue Diamond Dragon, Illusionary Dragon, Star Dragon, Thirty-Eight-Winged Dragon—Hate Dragons.

Cosmic Dragons, Sub-Iron Dragons, Planar Dragons, Legendary Dragons, Imperial Dragons, Hate Dragons—all are Sub-Class Dragons. Their difference from Main-Class Dragons lies primarily in extreme rarity, often so scarce they seem like rumors; their strength varies wildly, some weaker than White Dragons, others stronger than Golden Dragons.

Notably, beyond Sub-Class Dragons, there are Subtype Dragons.

Such as the Sea Emperor Dragon, Multi-Headed Dragon, Rock Dragon, Mithral Dragon, Spined Ancient Dragon, and Fang Giant Dragon—all are True Dragons, but lack shared traits and thus cannot be uniformly classified, earning them the name Subtype Dragons.

Like Sub-Class Dragons, Subtype Dragons, compared to Main-Class Dragons, vary in strength as well.

Back to the point.

A Sub-Class Planar Dragon like the Fairy Dragon is exceedingly rare on the planet Bernardo—perhaps only this one exists on the entire planet.

Garos was surprised to see a Fairy Dragon.

But beyond surprise, his privacy having been breached, danger flickered in his eyes.

“Fairy dragon, you—”

Garos spoke in a low tone, preparing to demand what the fairy dragon had seen.

But before he finished speaking, the fairy dragon frantically shook its head, nearly blurring into motion: “Didn’t see anything! Weila saw nothing!”

Garos fell silent.

Two seconds later, he looked at the fairy dragon Weila, his dragon face twisting into a pleasant expression.

“Weila? I’ve noted your name.”

“I’ve never seen a fairy dragon before. Your tiny, delicate form amazes and intrigues me. Let’s be friends. Don’t be tense, don’t be afraid—I’m not an evil dragon.”

Garos chuckled as he stepped toward the fairy dragon.

“Oh no oh no oh no! Ugh, I’ll never be curious again!”

Opposite him, the fairy dragon shrieked, its butterfly-like dragon wings suddenly spreading wide.

Boom! A burst of glittering magical dust exploded from its body, blinding Garos with blinding white light, erasing the fairy dragon from his vision.

Garos dropped his pretense.

With a single flap of his massive wings, a violent wind surged forth.

(End of Chapter)