Night

There was a small group of three young dragons at least nineteen years old stealthily walking down a hallway at the headquarters. They were trying to find out the truth behind the rumor of a 'ghost' at night.

"Are you sure the ghost appears around here?" Whispered one of them, a fire dragon.

"Hush. The night guard could hear us."

The three dragons continued down the hall until something made everyone scream. An electric dragoness had met the group as they turned down a corridor, causing everyone to make a fuss over the shock they took when they meet.

"What's the matter with you?!" snapped a neon blue scaled dragon.

"Excuse me. I was looking for someone."

"The guard has better not listened to us because of you- !!" the fire dragon screamed at the electric dragoness until he was interrupted by something.

"C-Can someone moves the body?" A teal dragoness asked nervously.

They felt as if something enveloped their entire body as if something was making it impossible for them to move their body.

"What are you doing here?" A voice was heard behind the group.

It was Ashes, who was using his technique called 'shadow grab'. He had immobilized the four dragons who were not supposed to be out at night.

"Is he!" thought the electric dragoness upon seeing the gray dragon.

"Let go of us now or I'll beat you up!" Screamed the fire dragon while he tried to shake off the gray dragon technique.

Ashes only raised his hand, which was dyed a black color, different from shadow claws. He closed his hand a little, which only caused the pressure of his technique to increase. He released them upon seeing that the fire dragon retracted his words.

"Go back to your rooms right now. I won't be so soft if I find you again." His gaze reflected the seriousness of his words.

The group of three dragons stormed back to their respective rooms, all except for one.

"I think that you don't hear what I said." Ashes said when he saw that the electric dragoness was still standing without leaving. "Why are you still here?"

"Uhm... I ..." she was nervous "I wanted to meet the night guard."

Ashes frowned.

"Yes! I am very curious." she gave a nervous laugh "I would like to do you a question."

Ashes just turned away, not wanting to engage in conversation with the dragoness behind him.

"Get out of here right now."

Ashes disappeared using the shadow's cloak, leaving the electric dragoness alone.

The dragoness sighed, walking back to her room that she shared with her friend Fayna. She walked with her head down until she reached her destination.

"At least I got to meet him ..." She thought and entered her room.

"Could it be known where you were ?!" The fire dragoness claimed her friend when she saw that the yellow dragoness was outside at such hours of the night.

"Uh..."

"Tesla, did you go looking for him?"

The yellow dragoness, Tesla, only gave a little nervous laugh. Fayna just sighed.

"You and your curiosity will give you a hard time someday. Well, did you find him?"

Tesla nodded. " He was just as Magnitos described him. I tried to talk to him, but he left."

"You should be more careful next time." Fayna wrapped herself in the blankets from her bed. "Remember there is a test of elemental mastery early. Go to sleep."

** Meanwhile elsewhere in headquarters - Master Senka's Office **

"I didn't think I'd see you drinking mead again, Senka." spoke a female voice while she entered the room. This took the Master of the Shadow element by surprise.

"Gea!" the shadow dragoness was surprised to see the previous Earth Element Master. Her surprise was such that she was about to spill her drink. "When did you come back?"

"I arrived when it got dark. Now tell me, why so stressed?"

"Problem after problem. Trying to locate the Staldiers is a headache." Master Senka replied and took another sip of her drink.

"Staldiers? Oh, I see. They're those creatures that have been attacking some cities, right?"

"Those same ones. No matter how hard we try to find and kill them, they disappear underground. Not even Erde can track them down deep underground. Changing the subject, how has the world been exploring you?

"The best thing is to explore the ancient structures that are underground. There have treasures guarded by traps for every race that exists in the world. Oh, by the way, I brought something for you."

Gea lowered her backpack and searched until she took out a wooden box.

"Are volcanic cookies from the Aleya continent, your favorites."

The black dragoness smiled. "Thank you, Gea. There aren't many merchants selling this around here." She received the box and put it in a drawer on her desk. "Excuse me for asking this, but could you go investigate 'that place'."

"You know that 'that place' is forbidden to everyone, without exception" Gea answered with a serious look.

"I know, I know. The Grandmaster has been requesting multiple times for an exception to be made to enter there, but every request has been denied. Also, you have a greater exploration experience than we do."

Gea sighed. "Okay I'll do, but you owe me dinner at a good restaurant."

Master Senka chuckled. "Deal. Just be careful. We don't know what lives there."

"Easy. I still have the strength of my time as an Elemental Master. See ya."

The earth dragoness withdrew from the office, leaving her old friend alone while the black dragoness tidied up the room.

** In an unknown place **

"The search has not yielded good results. We only have two main cities left to attack and search for the bearer." spoke a hooded man who was kneeling and with his head down. The hooded man was heading to a shapeless shadow.

"Remember that we do not seek to destroy, only seek. Minimize damage and focus all effort on the bearer."

"Understood, I'll report them to the hunters. What about the resurrection of the generals?"

"I still do not have enough power for their resurrection. Do not waste your time and continue."

"Fine, my lord."

When he left the place where he spoke to the shadow, a strong current of wind collided with him. The hood that covered his head fell, revealing the race to which he belonged: a griffin. He spread his feathered wings and flew back to the continent where his target was.