Chapter 173: Dragonhawk Knights

"System Sign-in..." Rynar murmured as he lay half-asleep in bed. 

At this point, he had long stopped thinking about improving the quality of life for his people—he just wanted to improve his own! 

Even the refugees were now living in wooden houses, yet the great King Rynar was still curled up in a drafty tent, clinging to a stove for warmth against the frigid northern winds...

"This is ridiculous!" Rynar grumbled, tightening his blanket around him.

"Congratulations, Host! Sign-in successful! You have received... a wave of refugees!" The system's mechanical voice chimed, making Rynar roll his eyes.

"A refugee influx? More people? Not bad, not bad." At least it wasn't some weird, useless item this time...

"Your Majesty, are you awake?" Nyx's soft and sweet voice came from outside the tent.

"Oh! I'm getting up!" Rynar suddenly remembered he had promised to have breakfast with Nyx this morning. Damn it! He was in trouble now.

"You didn't forget, did you...?" Nyx fluttered her large eyes at Rynar, who looked visibly uneasy.

"Of course not! I was just... researching the future development of Riverguard last night. Stayed up a bit too late." He smoothly blurted out the excuse. No way was he going to admit he had just overslept!

"Heh, heh, heh. Come on, let's go try the wild rabbit they hunted this morning. I had them prepare honey-roasted rabbit—let's see if it suits your taste."

Nyx's voice was gentle, but the knowing look in her eyes clearly showed she didn't buy his excuse.

"Let's go!" Rynar quickly changed the topic before she could expose his lie any further.

"By the heavens! What is that?! A dragon?!" The watchman atop Riverguard's lookout tower suddenly noticed a shadow approaching from the west. The massive wingspan of the creatures struck terror into his heart.

"Aaaarrghh!" A clear and resounding draconic roar echoed through the sky. But the truly horrifying part? There wasn't just one shadow—dozens of them loomed over the land, filling the heavens with the overlapping cries of dragons!

"Toot—toot—toot-toot!" The sentries blew the heavy war horns, their deep, thunderous tones mixing with the blaring alarm bells as the city was thrown into chaos.

Every person looked up in terror at the overwhelming sight above them. The doom of Riverguard seemed imminent.

"By the Dragon God..." Caslow swallowed hard. Even if they were just wyverns, they were still more than enough of a threat! A swarm of wyverns could tear a true dragon to shreds—that was their survival tactic: pack hunting!

"Kaldo! It's time to serve the Empire!" Suppressing his fear, Caslow blew his dragon flute, summoning his own dragon. Though his heart pounded with dread, he gripped his dragon lance tightly, mounted his saddle, and soared into the sky, planning to use the ground forces' cover to engage the enemy. At least this way, his dragon's one-on-one combat prowess could shine.

"Move! The enemy is upon us!" The Elaris Woods Rangers were the first to take up strategic positions atop the city's highest vantage points. 

These famed dragon hunters intended to prove their reputation once more. Though outnumbered, they showed no fear. 

Each archer nocked their dragon-slaying enchanted arrows, capable of piercing even dragon scales.

"Chirp, chirp!" Five young griffons let out furious cries, clearly displeased with the intruders invading Riverguard's airspace. Yet under the oppressive aura of the dragons, they couldn't even take flight...

"Prepare for battle!" Rynar had no more time for small talk with Nyx. This overwhelming horde of dragons could raze Riverguard to the ground three times over.

"Aerial combat! The enemy is coming from above!" Lord Radir leaned on his staff, squinting up at the sky in deep concern. 

Earth magic wasn't particularly effective against airborne enemies, and against dragons? It was practically useless.

"Form ranks! Spears up!" Rapid Infantry reacted with impressive speed, forming tight-knit phalanxes along the city walls. 

They braced their shields overhead, thrusting their long spears between the gaps, creating an unyielding steel forest. 

Even the Zaltarion City Guards copied their formation, though their spears were shorter in comparison. Still, the Rapid Infantry's three-meter-long pikes looked so formidable that not even a dragon would want to risk impaling itself on them.

"Dragons are attacking!" The guards in Loshanier City had also spotted the ominous figures in the sky.

"Evacuate the civilians! Quickly!" White Wing's eyes nearly popped out of his head. This was a true disaster from the skies!

"Knights! Form ranks! Prepare to defend against the dragons!" Knight Commander Maple Purple refused to sit idly by, rallying the soldiers around him. Meanwhile, civilians screamed and pushed toward the gates, clogging the exits in sheer panic.

"Ancestors, please... Someone save us!"

"Dragons! There are dragons in the sky!"

"The dragon horde is attacking the city!"

Terrified cries filled the air, drowning Loshanier City in chaos and despair. The people scrambled to flee, but against an airborne enemy, how far could they really run?

"Wait! Those aren't wyverns!" The moment Kaldo took flight, he felt an overwhelming dragon aura washing over him. His massive dragon eyes narrowed as he spoke in a tone laced with mockery.

"Dragons?!" Caslow's voice shot up an octave. He could deal with wyverns, but if these were real dragons? He'd grab Rynar and run. As for the others... well, they'd have to fend for themselves.

"No, no! Not wyverns or true dragons. These are lesser dragons! They look like Dragonhawks! And they have riders—dwarves! Look for yourself!" Kaldo shared his vision with Caslow.

Sure enough, Caslow saw it—Dragonhawk Knights...

"By the Dragon God! You dragons really don't leave anything alone, do you?! You've even got your claws on the eaglekin?! Also—wait, Dragonhawks aren't extinct?!" Caslow groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Ascend! Let's get some answers from them!" With an annoyed huff, Caslow shot skyward. Dragonhawks might be lesser dragons, but against a true dragon, they were no match.

"I think we scared them..." The Dragonhawk Knights finally noticed the commotion below. The endless shield formations, the panicked fleeing crowds—it all painted a clear picture.

"Control your Dragonhawks! Stop their screeching! We're just here to seek asylum in Erebor, not start a war! Dispel your dragon aura!" Their leader scolded his boastful companions.

"Yes, Captain!" The straightforward dwarves responded in unison.

"Oh, for the love of beards... Durin, we have a problem!" The captain suddenly noticed Caslow's furious approach—riding a full-blooded Wind Dragon, its aura fully unleashed.

"Ancestors help us! Form up! Is he going to attack? We might have violated this city-state's airspace!" Cold sweat dripped from the captain's forehead. 

No aerial knight wanted to face a dragon knight, especially not one wielding a ten-meter-long dragon lance—one designed specifically to kill dragons.

"Aaaarrghh!" Kaldor's enraged roar exploded in the sky. His anger wasn't just because lesser dragons dared to challenge true dragons—it was also because Caslow was absolutely livid. 

The two were connected, sensing each other's thoughts. And so, Kaldo was roaring to reclaim his rider's dignity.

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