Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
64. A Dragon’s Life

Time flew by in the blink of an eye; several months had passed.

Long Jinshu stirred awake from yet another strange dream. In it, he wasn’t a dragon but something called a human, living on a planet named Earth. These peculiar dreams had come and gone since the day he was born, leaving him with fleeting memories of a life that felt oddly familiar yet impossibly distant. He had long since dismissed them as tricks of his newborn mind, a jumble of nonsense conjured by his imagination.

“Good morning, Mama,” Jinshu said softly, his small, serpentine body draped lazily across his mother’s chest.

“Good morning, my little Shu’er.” She smiled, pressing a kiss to his head. Her warmth always seemed to chase away any lingering shadows of doubt or confusion. “Are you ready?”

His eyes lit up with excitement, and he nodded eagerly, his tail swishing behind him. The anticipation thrummed through his small frame, a bundle of energy ready to burst.

“Then let’s go see your father,” his mother said with a loving smile. She stood gracefully, causing Jinshu to roll off her body onto the soft, plush bedding below.

He bounded toward the edge of the bed, crouching low in preparation. With a small grunt, he leaped off, his tiny, sinuous body moving fluidly through the air. Instead of plummeting to the ground, his natural rhythm and instinct kicked in, allowing him to glide effortlessly. He landed neatly on his mother’s shoulder, coiling lightly around the back of her neck.

“My little Shu’er is a genius,” she cooed, her voice brimming with pride. “Only a few months old and already flying. The others will be so jealous when they hear.”

Jinshu puffed out his chest slightly at her praise, his tiny claws gripping gently onto her shoulder as they exited the room.

They moved through long, twisting hallways carved from rough stone. The cool air of the passage tickled his scales, but he hardly noticed, his focus on what lay ahead. This was the heart of his father’s domain—the patriarch of the dragon clan's cave. Or so his mother had told him.

Each step brought them closer, and Jinshu’s anticipation grew. Today, he would finally meet the father he’d only heard about in stories.

They stepped into a brightly lit grand hall, an awe-inspiring sight that took Jinshu’s breath away. The chamber was massive, its ceiling soaring high above, supported by towering pillars carved with intricate depictions of coiling dragons. Pearls of light, glowing softly like stars scattered across the heavens, illuminated the space with an ethereal glow. The room was so vast it could easily house hundreds of dragons in their full, majestic forms.

Rows upon rows of human-formed dragons filled the hall—men, women, and even children. Their figures radiated strength and elegance, each exuding a presence that left no doubt of their draconic heritage.

It was the most dragons Long Jinshu had ever seen, though he quickly reminded himself that his frame of reference was… limited. Until now, he had only known his mother.

As they entered, all eyes turned toward them. Conversations hushed, and a quiet ripple of acknowledgment spread through the gathered dragons.

At the far end of the hall, seated upon a magnificent throne crafted from what Jinshu could only assume was the most precious jade, was the man everyone seemed to revere. His presence was overwhelming, commanding the room effortlessly. This was Long Qing, patriarch of the dragon clan, the Azure Dragon—and Long Jinshu's father.

The throne rested atop a raised platform, flanked by several tiers of wide steps. Standing just below Long Qing were three women, each cradling a small dragon of varying sizes. Jinshu’s mother had told him about them before—they were his aunts, and the little dragons they held were his older siblings.

Below those three women stood another group: ten women, each poised and graceful, though none carried dragons of their own. They were his aunts as well, though unlike the first three, these had yet to bear any of Long Qing’s children.

Jinshu’s small claws tightened slightly on his mother’s shoulder as he took it all in. This was his family, his clan. And standing at its center was the man whose attention he had both longed for and feared—his father.

Everyone below the raised platform bowed slightly in greeting to his mother and him.

“Welcome, Lady Jiamei! Welcome, Young Lord!” they called in unison, their voices merging into a powerful crescendo that echoed throughout the grand hall.

Jinshu flinched, claws instinctively tightening on his mother’s collar at the overwhelming sound. But when his gaze shifted to his father seated upon the jade throne, he straightened, puffing out his tiny chest in an attempt to mimic confidence.

The crowd fell silent as Lady Jiamei gave a graceful nod, acknowledging their greeting, and began ascending the dais with Jinshu perched on her shoulder.

At the base of the steps stood the ten aunts without children. They bowed their heads in unison. “Welcome, Sister Jiamei! Welcome, Jinshu!” Their softer, harmonious voices helped soothe the tension that had gripped Jinshu moments before.

As they climbed higher, reaching the middle tier of the dais, the three elder aunts greeted them individually, each holding a small dragon in their arms.

The first stood on the left, draped in elegant black robes that shimmered faintly in the light. Her long white hair cascaded like frost, and the small dragon in her arms, nearly Jinshu’s size, was as pure white as freshly fallen snow.

Her sharp, glacier-blue eyes briefly flickered over Jinshu and his mother before she gave a curt nod. “Sister Jiamei. Jinshu,” she said, her voice as cold and detached as an unforgiving tundra.

The little white dragon in her arms peeked out, sparing them a shy glance before burying her face back into her mother’s embrace. A muffled sound, likely a greeting, came from the bundle of scales, though Jinshu couldn’t quite make it out.

Lady Jiamei responded with a warm laugh and a gentle smile. “Hello, Sister Xue. And hello, little Bing’er.” She turned her head slightly, nudging Jinshu to respond.

Gathering himself, Jinshu stood up proudly on her shoulder, his small body stiff with determination. “Greetings, Aunt Xue, and Big Sister Bing.”

Next, the aunt in the middle spoke up in greeting. “Hello, Sister! And hello to you as well, little Jinshu!” Her hearty laugh echoed through the hall, her voice deep and strong, perfectly complementing her imposing stature. She was a vibrant red like roaring flames and stood tall like an unshakable mountain. To Jinshu, she resembled a lively volcano, radiating strength and warmth. The fiery red dragon in her arms, the largest of his three siblings, seemed close to the age when she could take on her human form.

“Hello, Aunt Jiamei! Hehe! Hi, Little Brother!” the young dragon greeted him with a playful grin.

His mother rolled her eyes at this particular aunt's boisterous nature but returned the greeting politely. “Hello, Sister Huo, and little Yanjiang.”

Blinking at the lively duo, Jinshu was momentarily too stunned to speak. His mother nudged him gently to snap him out of his daze.

“G-greetings, Aunt Huo,” he said, trying to sound composed before hesitating over how to address his eldest sister. After a moment’s thought, he waved his small claws. “Hi, Eldest Sister Yanjiang.”

Aunt Huo’s booming laugh only grew louder. “Look at him! What a polite little brother!”

Next, they turned to the last aunt. She stood out starkly from the others. Unlike the rest of the grand hall, she wasn’t a dragon. Her large, soft rabbit ears atop her head made it clear she was of the rabbit clan, the only one of his father’s wives not from a branch of the dragon clan.

The little dragon in her arms was also unique, with soft brown fur instead of gleaming scales.

“Greetings to Sister Jiamei and her son, Long Jinshu,” she said with a deep bow, her voice gentle yet resolute.

The small dragon in her arms followed suit, mimicking her mother’s bow perfectly. “Greetings to Aunt Jiamei and her son, Long Jinshu.”

Lady Jiamei sighed softly before stepping forward and placing her hands on her sister-in-law’s shoulders, lifting her gently from the bow. “Tuzi, how many times must I tell you? Drop the formalities. You are as much a part of this family as the others. And you too, Yuetu.”

Aunt Tuzi’s rabbit ears drooped in response, her face etched with guilt. “I dare not. I only survive today due to the lord’s benevolence—”

Smack!

“Ow!”

Jiamei lightly swatted the top of her head, firm enough to get her attention. “Then as the first wife, I order you to drop all formalities,” she said with mock sternness, though a smile tugged at her lips.

Turning to Jinshu, she prompted him, “Well?”

Jinshu stifled a laugh at their interaction before bowing his head politely. “Greetings, Aunt Tuzi, and Big Sister Yuetu!”

The rabbit-eared woman smiled softly, her ears perking up at last, and her daughter mirrored her expression.

Finally, it was time to greet his father. Jinshu’s heart began to race as they ascended the last few steps toward the jade throne. His small claws gripped his mother’s shoulder tightly, and he gulped audibly.

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