Chapter 9

The dragon walked across the cave slowly, observing his growing army of furs, all taken from their lonely lives in that city, purposefully picking the furs who had little to no connections in the city, their deaths likely being forgotten or at least stalled by this factor.

They all stood still, the emerald magic radiating off of them as the corpses awaited instruction, the next commands from their masters. Damn, it felt so good to him to feel this control, a sense of authority that felt so foreign to him. All of this power given to him by that magical substance, it made him feel like someone important for one of the first times in all his years.

He felt he needed more of the kryptynion, more of that stone that sent so much of the power he relished into his veins. The dangers that Matheus had brought up were something he didn't feel as if he wished to focus on, seeing nothing but good come out of the magical stone.

All his life he'd felt so powerless, decisions being made without any word from him, being disregarded constantly. But the kryptynion changed that, for now he felt to be brimming with powerful magic just like the kind that those entitled bastards in the Canine lands had, finally having the power to be noticed, to stop the Canines before they ended everything for the reptilians.

"Matheus!" He called out, looking pointedly at the Alligator mulling on about strategy at his desk, biting frustratedly at the eraser of his pencil.

The Alligator snapped up from the desk, looking at the dragon attentively, looking a bit nervous as the dragon had called him.

"I'm going to need more of the kryptynion." The dragon said in a soft tone. "I can already feel that the magic I have already won't be enough to suply enough of these undead furs for an army, I need more of it for this to happen, you know how important this cause means to me." The dragon said those last words pointedly at Matheus, his eyes that now glowed emerald being into the alligator.

The alligator seemed to blush for just a moment as the dragon stared into his eyes, Matheus quickly breaking the gaze as soon as he realized that he was too, staring at the dragon as well.

"Of course master." He said softly. "I just want to make sure you're taking proper care of yourself." Matheus added in, hoping his master would catch on.

The dragon sighed, shaking his broad shoulders briefly. "I don't see why you would care so much Matheus, of my well being and all of that nonsense. You know this is the only way for us reptilians to have a chance to fend off those awful Canines." He growled.

Matheus began with his fingers, eyes darting away from the stunning green ones of the dragon. "I just wouldn't want you to have to die." He squeaked. "The kryptynion is so dangerous, a-and I don't want you to get hurt." The alligator blushed deeply, the normal greyed out green of his scales turning into a rose coloring for a moment.

"Well Matheus, we must all take risks sometimes, and it seems that time has to come sooner than either of us expected." He responded, the tone of the dragon softening to something more vulnerable and open than he cared to realize.

"I'm just worried for you, that's all." Whispered Matheus softly, the dragon noticing just how much the alligator had come to care for him.

"That won't matter now." He snapped before walking across the room, gesturing to Matheus to follow, going into the room he knew he kept the medicine. "This war is the only thing that does."