This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

After a brief and terrifying introduction, the Red Dragon King directed the one who had escorted them, who Kain had learned was called Errol, to bring them to what was called the "village."

The only exception was Caelum who, as the appointed leader of our group, was asked to stay behind.

Kain assumed that there must have been some kind of communication between the Order and this group of dragons in the past, and "rescuing the Elorians" may have just been a façade set up in order for the two groups to communicate covertly.

However, these secret dealings had nothing to do with Kain, and likely only Caelum within their group had some more information.

At almost the exact moment they arrived at what looked like a recently built quaint village on a flat expanse of land halfway up another mountain, a loud bell rang out that could be heard throughout the mountain range.

At the moment this ringing began, the originally quiet village became a bustle of activity as dozens of individuals with light green hair, green eyes, and slightly pointed ears, came out of their temporary dwellings—the missing Elorians.

They appeared intact and uninjured, but incredibly exhausted.

In an almost habitual manner, the Elorians silently split into groups to accomplish their tasks for their "lord dragons."

Many began to season and prepare meat that was then put over a barbecue spit. Once cooked, the massive pile of meat was then placed into a cart and brought to who, Kain assumed, were the various caves of each dragon.

Considering that Elorians are notoriously vegetarian and can't stomach the thought of killing for food and eating meat, Kain could only imagine what kind of anguishing mental conditioning the dragons had performed to get them so "well trained."

Another group of Elorians held massive brushes and occasionally a passing dragon would land to get its scales brushed and cleaned—ensuring that even the smallest of rocks or debris that was caught under their scales was removed.

Kain couldn't help but think back to the Dream Sirens Cassian's Dream Dragon had summoned during the National Tournament.

While many species of dragons are solitary, the majority of wild dragons do have a habit of gathering "servants."

Some creatures such as Kobolds or Dream Sirens will instinctively follow and worship dragons, thinking it an honor to even be in their presence.

However, in the absence of such creatures, it is not unheard of for dragons to forcibly kidnap intelligent creatures to serve them—which is likely the current predicament of the Elorian villagers.

The villagers moved with mechanical precision, their faces gaunt and eyes dull, as though their spirits had been crushed under their new status as slaves.

Even as the group of humans arrived—an event that should have sparked some emotion, or at least curiosity—there was no reaction.

The villagers continued with their tasks, whether tending to enormous spits roasting meat, scrubbing debris from the scales of lounging dragons, or organizing supplies that likely catered to the dragons' whims.

A few of the Order members stepped forward, trying to engage with the villagers. "We're here to help!" one called out in Imperial Common, the common tongue spoken within the Celestial Empire.

The nearest villager, a middle-aged woman with green hair tied back in a messy braid, looked at them with a flicker of fear before quickly turning away, pretending not to have heard.

"They don't understand us," Serena noted, brows scrunched. Her education as a child had been extensive, but her knowledge of Elorian was incredibly limited.

Kain frowned, stepping forward to observe the interaction. "This is similar to elvish," he murmured, catching snippets of their hushed conversations.

Based on the Elvish he knew—largely thanks to Elera—he could tell it was heavily rooted in Ancient Elvish.

"Let me try," Kain said, stepping closer to the woman.

Switching to Ancient Elvish, he spoke carefully. "*We are not enemies. We came to help you return home.*"

The woman froze, her body going rigid at the sound of the slightly familiar language being spoken by a human. Slowly, she turned her head, her wary green eyes locking onto Kain. "*You... help?*" she said haltingly, her voice trembling with both suspicion and a faint glimmer of hope.

"*Yes,*" Kain replied, nodding exaggeratively to make sure his point got across. "*We are from the Celestial Empire. The queen of Elowen Haven sent us to find you and bring you back.*"

Her eyes widened, and she seemed to struggle to process his words. Behind her, other villagers began to notice the interaction, their tasks slowing as they cautiously drew closer.

"*Home?*" the woman whispered, the word catching in her throat.

"*Yes, home. We can take you away from here,*" Kain assured her.

The villagers exchanged whispers, their voices growing louder as the news spread. Tears began streaming down the faces of some, and others dropped whatever they were holding, overwhelmed by the possibility of freedom.

"*Is it true? You will take us home?*" a young man asked, stepping forward.

"Yes," Kain affirmed, meeting his gaze.

The mood shifted rapidly at the confirmation from Kain. Cheers and sobs broke out among the villagers, their long-suppressed emotions bursting forth like a dam breaking. For the first time since they arrived, the air felt alive with hope and anticipation.

But the jubilation was short-lived.

A nearby black dragon, its scales gleaming like obsidian, turned its head sharply at the noise and gave out a loud roar. It had been enjoying the attention of a group of villagers brushing its massive body. The feeling was so comfortable it was about to fall asleep. But suddenly the loud exclamations coming from these servants woke it up! Find adventures on empire

The villagers immediately fell silent, their joyous expressions vanishing as though wiped away. They scrambled back to their tasks, their movements frantic and fearful.

The black dragon snorted in satisfaction before settling back down, eyes closing in relaxation as the brushing resumed.

Though the villagers had returned to their tasks, their earlier despair was gone. There was a new light in their eyes—a spark of hope that hadn't been there before.