Invitation

[Dragon Faction - Throne Hall.]

The First Prince of the Dragon Nation, Cain, reclined on his opulent throne, his gaze fixed on the shimmering holographic screen before him. A man with two striking red horns, was giving orders on the display.

"You understand, Son?" the King's voice boomed.

"Yeah, I should invite him and so on... Blah-blah-blah," Cain replied with an exaggerated sigh, his disinterest palpable.

The King's eyebrow twitched upwards. "You are the First Prince of the Dragon Nation! Be serious for once!" he spat out, his voice laced with irritation.

"Okay... Okay, I get it," Cain conceded, rolling his eyes. "You want to know more about this new King, no, you want me to invite him to an event that happens once a year, then what?"

"Just keep shut and do as I say," the King commanded, his patience wearing thin. "If you mess this up, your second brother will take over the throne."

Cain's easygoing demeanor vanished, replaced by a grimace. The threat of his younger brother seizing his birthright was a potent one. After a few tense seconds, he nodded curtly.

"Okay then, I will deliver your message."

"Oh! Give them back the resources," the King added, his tone softening slightly. "We already took enough gold; they should have the rest. Just come back home after you deliver my message."

The young prince nodded once more, and the screen flickered, turning blank before dissolving into a shower of shimmering particles.

"AHH! He is so annoying!" Cain grumbled, leaning back into the luxurious embrace of his throne. His gaze drifted to the half-naked women in their alluring, revealing clothes who lounged beside him.

"What do you think, girls?" he asked, a playful smirk returning to his lips.

"I think the Lord should come and join us," one woman purred, raising a glass of wine to him, her smile inviting.

"Oh... I will."

He began to rise, but at that exact moment, the grand double doors of the Throne Hall were abruptly pushed open. Three men, their faces etched with hard, serious expressions, strode in.

"What happened, General Elvis?" Cain asked, a frown creasing his brow as his relaxed posture stiffened.

"He is here," General Elvis stated, his eyes meeting the prince's.

"Then let him in," Cain said, annoyance lacing his voice.

"I suggest you personally welcome him, My Prince," General Elvis advised, his gaze unwavering, a silent challenge in his eyes.

"I... I should go and greet him?! Why the hell would I do that?!" Cain yelled, his earlier irritation flaring into outrage.

"Because the one you will be greeting is a king with millions of troops," the General explained, his voice calm and steady. "If he wants, we won't be able to leave here alive, so we have to show our respect... even if it's this once."

The prince's gaze shifted from General Elvis to the five women, then he exhaled slowly, a long, drawn-out breath of resignation.

"Okay then."

He pushed himself off the throne and walked past the General, who fell into step behind him.

_____

The prince stood before the massive gates of the city, a cold, resentful look etched on his face. He clearly detested the situation.

General Elvis stood rigidly beside him, both men staring intently at the colossal Starship that was steadily approaching.

"A Starship? Only the top five nations have it... Am I wrong?" Cain asked, turning to the General.

"Yes... So far, only the top five have it," the General muttered, his brow furrowed in thought. "Then who is this?" He added:

"We are the third-strongest nation. Only the Humans, Elves, Phoenix, and Three-Eyed nations can use this, and I am sure it's not one of them."

WHOOSH

"...?!"

The two watched in stunned silence as the wind violently picked up, and before their disbelieving eyes, the very space before them tore open. Three figures calmly walked out from the shimmering, gaping crack.

"...?!!"

Both the prince and General Elvis were utterly flabbergasted.

"Was... Was that Teleportation?" Cain stammered, turning to the General, his voice a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"How would I know that?!" the General retorted, equally bewildered.

Sunny, Jinx, and Ellen stopped a short distance before the two bewildered Dragon Nation figures.

"I wasn't expecting a welcome," Sunny said, his voice even.

"Really? Then what were you expecting?" Cain countered, a hint of his usual snark returning despite his shock.

"An empty city," Sunny answered in a flat, unyielding tone.

The prince slowly nodded his head, a wry smile forming on his lips. "You will have that in five minutes..." He took a step forward, gesturing expansively.

"Let me use these five minutes to invite you to the Biggest Auction in the Galaxy, hosted by us, the dragons."

"An auction?" Sunny raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

"Yep! Starting two days from now," Cain announced, his voice gaining a theatrical flourish.

"This is a special auction for only the royal families and top influential people! All royal families will be present... And you can only partake with an invitation!"

He snapped his fingers, and a golden invitation, intricately engraved with a majestic golden dragon, materialized in his hand.

"We have a lot of treasures; even if you aren't buying anything, you can make allies," Cain said, his smile widening, showcasing his practiced charm.

Sunny scoffed internally, 'This auction is known as the Supreme Auction, hosted by the dragons once a year... I might see something worthwhile.'

He raised his hand and, with a subtle snap of his own fingers, the golden invitation vanished from Cain's hand and instantly reappeared in Sunny's palm.

"Thank you for accepting," Cain said, his smile unwavering. "You are allowed to bring three family members with you."

Sunny pocketed the invitation, his gaze then moving from Cain to General Elvis, and finally to the numerous transport ships already flying out of the city.

"As you can see... We are leaving," Cain said, gesturing to the sky. "Thanks again for not blowing up our heads." He then offered a slight bow.

"Oh! I am Cain... First Prince of the Dragon Nation."

"Do I have the honor to know your name?" he asked.

WHOOSH!

Sunny, Ellen, and Jinx looked up as a massive Warship approached from the city, moving swiftly towards them. The General walked forward, taking up a position beside Cain.

"God Wolf," Sunny answered, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Okay... God Wolf... We will see in two days' time," Cain replied, just as the Warship positioned itself directly above them.

A pillar of pure light shot down from the Warship, enveloping both Cain and General Elvis. With a small, almost imperceptible nod from Cain, they slowly floated upwards, ascending into the belly of the Warship.

The three watched as the massive vessel turned, then, with a shimmering distortion of space, it executed a space jump, vanishing from the planet's sky.

"This is a bit boring... I thought the dragons would put up a fight," Sunny muttered, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"Put up a fight? With your strength and this ship behind us, what will you choose? Besides, this isn't their territory." Jinx retorted, her voice a touch sharp.

Sunny looked at Jinx over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "You talk too much."

'This girl's loyalty is below 50%... That's 45%... I must think of a way to increase it... I can't take her to the auction because there's a high chance we will encounter Matilda... So that's out... Maybe I will take them shopping tomorrow, all my subordinates need to star their equipment... Two birds with one stone,' he mused, turning his head slightly to the side.

"You followed us from our nation. I think it's time you show yourselves," Sunny announced, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

".....?!"

"...Huh?"

Jinx and Ellen were stunned, both simultaneously turning their heads in the direction Sunny was facing, just as two figures materialized from thin air.

"...?!!"