Chapter: A Dragon's Nest
"Come on, you can do a few more! Don't just give up now—you're about to break your previous record!"
A 17-year-old boy, drenched in sweat and grime, was pushing himself to the limit. His arms trembled violently with each push-up, his breathing ragged. Despite the exhaustion clawing at every muscle, he gritted his teeth and tried to force out another rep.
But his body finally gave in.
With a grunt, David collapsed to the ground, panting hard as he lay sprawled across the training mat.
The voice spoke again, this time with an irritated growl.
"David! What's wrong with you? You were just about to surpass your last record!"
Too tired to even lift his head, David muttered through clenched teeth. "Shut up… you poisonous lizard…"
A short pause. Then, outrage.
"Who the hell are you calling poisonous, you brat?!"
"You," David snapped without hesitation.
The moment the word left his mouth, his entire body was electrocuted.
"Aaaaaaagh!!"
"Next time, think before you speak, brat!"
Just as David opened his mouth to shout back, the sound of footsteps approached. He turned his head toward the house, and a devilish grin spread across his face as a wicked thought struck him.
"Alright, alright! I won't tell Mom that you've been watching other dragonesses."
The pendant around David's neck—a dragon-shaped relic pulsing faintly with magic—flashed with confusion.
"…What?" the voice stammered.
It didn't take long for the meaning to sink in.
A chilling aura suddenly filled the training yard.
"Albion," came a calm yet dangerously low voice behind David. "What is David talking about?"
Standing at the threshold was a stunning woman with golden-blonde hair, dusky brown skin, piercing ruby eyes, and an hourglass figure clad in a black and red saree. Earrings dangled like spears from her ears. Her presence radiated regality and suppressed fury.
"V-Vitra! I swear, I don't know what he's talking about!" Albion sputtered from within the pendant.
"Then why," she said, slowly lifting the necklace with two fingers, "is David electrocuted?"
"I didn't electrocute him!" Albion yelped. "He zapped himself trying to cast lightning magic, I swear!"
Vitra knelt beside David, sniffed the air, and narrowed her eyes.
"You're electrocuting our son… lying to me… and ogling other dragons?"
Dark magma-like energy began leaking from her palm and engulfed the pendant. Her voice turned cold and mechanical.
"You need to be disciplined, dear husband."
"No no no! The boy's lying! Please, listen to me!" Albion cried, his voice muffled beneath the growing lava-shell.
David, now recovered, gave his father a smug look.
"Serves you right, you poisonous lizard."
Vitra gently cupped David's cheek. "Go get cleaned up, sweetheart. I made your favorite meal."
"Okay, Mom!" he chirped, darting into the house with a grin.
---
In the Dining Room
The long dining table was laid out like a feast of kingdoms—delicacies from every continent, each bursting with vibrant colors and aromas. David was nearly drooling, but he held himself back. He knew the rule well: No eating until everyone is seated. If he dared, he'd never hear the end of it.
Soon, Vitra entered, elegantly balancing the final dishes. The enchanted pendant still hung around her neck, slightly charred and visibly sulking.
"Oh, you waited? I thought you'd already started," she said warmly.
"Hey, you're the one who taught me that families eat together," David replied with a smile.
She smiled back and placed the dishes down, taking her seat across from him. Together, they pressed their hands in prayer and gave thanks to Shiva before beginning their meal.
Halfway through, Vitra glanced up. "So," she began casually, "now that you've graduated a year earlier than expected… what's next?"
David swallowed and hesitated.
"I was thinking… maybe I could travel around the different worlds for a year. Learn about different cultures and traditions."
Vitra's eyes softened for a moment—then hardened.
"It's a good idea," she said. "But I don't have the time to accompany you for a whole year, and I don't feel safe letting you wander the worlds with just a few guards. Think of something else."
David's heart sank. He expected resistance, but not complete rejection. Still, he had to try.
"I want to go alone."
The air went cold.
Vitra slowly set down her spoon. Her smile remained, but her aura turned predatory.
"What… did you say, sweetheart? You mean… travel alone? Without me?"
David glanced at the pendant where Albion was stuffing his face with magical food, completely ignoring the tension in the room.
He sent his father a pleading look.
Nothing.
Thanks for nothing, old man.
Knowing he was alone, David drew in a deep breath. "Mom, it's our tradition. When dragons come of age, they leave the nest and travel the realms. It's a rite of passage. I want to do this, like all the other young dragons."
Vitra sighed, shaking her head. "Yes, that is the tradition—for ordinary dragons. But you're not. You're my son—Vitra, Empress of one of the strongest empires in the worlds."
"And your father," she continued, voice rising, "is Albion—once known as one of the strongest dragons in existence. Now, tell me… what do you think would happen if word spread that the heir of the Vritra Empire was roaming alone? Without me or guards?"
Her words were final. Her tone left no room for argument.
David had no response.
Then, Albion finally decided to open his mouth.
"Actually, honey," he said lazily, "you should let the boy go. He's not going alone."
Vitra turned to the pendant slowly. "What do you mean?"
"I'll go with him!" Albion announced proudly. "He won't be alone. I'll be his guardian."
"You're stuck in a pendant, Ali."
"So what? I've stockpiled a century's worth of energy in here! I can defend him just fine. Besides—" he chuckled, "let's be honest, if we didn't let him go, the brat would just sneak out in the middle of the night."
Vitra glared, but her silence suggested she knew Albion wasn't wrong.
"But are you sure about this ali?." she asked, the worry slipping through.
"I'll am sure," Albion said more seriously now. "If anyone dares touch him, I'll make sure they regret it—even if I have to detonate this pendant and take them with me."
Vitra narrowed her eyes at both of them. David sat up straighter.
The room was tense.
Finally, Vitra exhaled, slowly. "Fine."
David lit up. "Really?!"
"But," she added, her voice sharp, "you will send magical updates every three days. You will avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. And if I find out you've gotten yourself in trouble—"
David gulped. "Understood, Mom."
Albion snorted. "Good luck surviving with your mother's rules, brat."
David looked at his pendant with a smirk.
"Still better than being electrocuted every morning by a pendant-bound lizard."
"So, when are you planning to leave?" Vitra asked casually, sipping her morning tea.
"In two or three days," David replied, placing his spoon down. "I've already planned everything out and even managed to get visas for every world I want to visit."
Vitra raised an eyebrow, impressed despite herself. Her son had covered all the bases—meticulous, just like his father. She sighed inwardly, realizing Albion had been right. If she hadn't given him permission, the brat would've probably vanished in the dead of night anyway.
Finishing the last bite of her breakfast, Vitra stood and smoothed her saree. "I have work to attend to. You two should start preparing for the journey."
Without another word, she left the dining hall, the sound of her heels echoing through the marble corridor.
As the door closed behind her, Albion's voice echoed smugly from the pendant.
"Looks like the plan worked."
David rolled his eyes as he stood by the sink, scrubbing plates. "The plan would've worked even better if you had supported me from the start."
Albion chuckled. "You deserved to suffer after what you did to me this morning."
"Oh, please," David muttered, scrubbing harder. "You're acting like this whole trip is about me—when it's really about you and your little goal of getting your physical body back."
Albion fell silent.
David glanced at the pendant, expecting a comeback—but none came. The pendant simply pulsed faintly as the ancient dragon retreated into moody silence.
Seeing that his father had no interest in continuing the argument, David just sighed and resumed cleaning the dishes. The kitchen fell quiet, the only sound being the soft clink of ceramic and the running water.
But beneath that silence, both dragon and son knew this journey would be far more than a simple cultural trip—it was the beginning of something much bigger.