The Milf's Dragon-Chapter 126. The UNITY ritual

They flew through the night and most of the next day.

Owen’s wings ate distance with each beat, his juvenile dragon form eating through stamina reserves at a steady clip. Yuki monitored through the bond, ready to signal when he needed to rest, but he pushed on. Three days. The number drove him forward.

The mountains gave way to a high plateau as the sun reached its peak. Below, a gathering waited.

Sylnara stood with a delegation of elven wardens, their silver armor catching light. Beside them, King Borin Ironfoot had brought a contingent of dwarven engineers, their equipment piled on sturdy carts. Elder Mosswood emerged from the tree line with Caelen and three other druids, their expressions unreadable. And hovering at the edge, barely visible unless you looked directly at them, fairy scouts flitted between branches.

Owen descended. The moment his claws touched ground, he shifted to humanoid form, conserving energy.

"You made good time," Sylnara said. "The fairies sent word of your timeline. Three days."

"Two and a half now," Hilda corrected, already unpacking her stabilizers. "We need to move."

Borin stepped forward. "My people have surveyed the four cardinal points as requested. East and west are accessible. North is in elven territory—specifically, the sacred grove." He looked at Sylnara. "We’ll need your permission to place the device there."

"And south?" Owen asked.

Hilda’s expression tightened. "South is at the dungeon’s entrance itself. Right where the guardian will manifest."

"The guardian is real?" Odessa asked.

"Real enough." Elder Mosswood spoke for the first time. His ancient voice carried weight. "The dungeon someone manifested a being to defend itself, maybe due to having the fragment of power? The guardian will be... significant."

"How significant?" Leah asked.

No one answered. That was answer enough.

Sylnara stepped forward. "Before we proceed, there are conditions." She looked at Borin. "The sacred grove is not to be disturbed. Your device must be placed without damaging any living thing."

"My engineers are professionals," Borin growled. "They’re not going to—"

"The same engineers who’ve been blasting through mountains for centuries?"

"That’s mining. Different skill set."

Hilda intervened. "I’ll place the north device myself. No blasting. No digging. Just precise calibration."

Sylnara considered this, then nodded.

Borin crossed his arms. "My condition: the debt you owe Khazad-Vorn. I’m naming it now."

Owen tensed. "Name it."

"When this is over—when you have your fragment and Drak’thar is waking—you’ll provide dragon fire and scales for our forges. Regularly. Permanently." Borin met his eyes. "Dragon-forged steel is the strongest in the world. We haven’t had access to it since the extinction. You’ll change that."

"That’s... actually reasonable," Odessa murmured.

Owen nodded. "Agreed. When Drak’thar is functional, you’ll have dragon fire."

Borin grunted. "Good. Now let’s get on with it."

Elder Mosswood stepped forward. "The druids have one condition as well."

"Name it."

"The fragment’s power. When you take it, you’ll return here—to this spot—and submit to a druidic binding. Nothing that controls you, nothing that limits you. Just... a connection. To the land. To the balance." Mosswood’s eyes were ancient and sad. "We need to know that if you ever become a threat, we’ll have warning."

Yuki’s hand moved to her katana. "You want to put a leash on him."

"I want to put a safeguard on him. There’s a difference." Mosswood held her gaze. "You’ve seen what Vorthraxx became. You’ve walked through his memories. If Owen ever starts down that path—and power like this can push anyone down that path—we need to know. Early. Before it’s too late."

Owen considered. A binding that would alert the druids if he started falling. Not control. Just early warning.

"Agreed."

Yuki looked at him but didn’t argue.

Queen Asteria drifted forward from the tree line. "And the fairy favor is already claimed. You owe us, dragon. We’ll collect when it serves us."

"That’s not a condition. That’s a reminder."

"Fairies excel at reminders." She smiled. "Now, about the ritual. To confirm Malachar’s influence is truly gone, to ensure no lingering corruption affects your entry, you’ll need to perform a unity ceremony. All four races participating willingly."

"What kind of ceremony?" Alfred asked.

"Simple. Each representative touches the artifact." Asteria produced a small crystal, perfectly clear, no larger than her palm. "It will glow if the influence is truly gone. If it doesn’t—if any corruption remains—you’ll know before you enter."

"And if there is corruption?" Leah asked.

"Then you deal with it before entering. Because taking corruption into that dungeon would be... unwise."

Sylnara stepped forward first. She placed her hand on the crystal. It pulsed with soft light—clear, untroubled.

Borin followed. Another clear pulse.

Mosswood. Clear.

Asteria herself touched it last. Clear.

All eyes turned to the party.

"Each of you as well," Asteria said. "The ritual tests all who will enter."

One by one, they stepped forward. Yuki. Leah. Odessa. Alfred. Caelen. Hilda. Each touch produced clear light.

Finally, Owen.

He placed his palm on the crystal.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the crystal blazed—not with clear light, but with something deeper. Golden. Ancient. The light of dragon sovereignty.

Asteria’s eyes widened. "That’s... not corruption."

"What is it?" Owen asked.

"That’s the glow of the dragon king’s bloodline. Your authority." She stared at the glowing crystal. "The power inside you. It’s recognition. The dungeon knows you’re coming. And It’s been waiting."

"Is that good or bad?" Odessa asked.

"Both." Asteria floated back. "It means you’ll have advantages inside. The dungeon may respond to you differently, may test you in ways tailored to your specific nature. It also means the guardian will know exactly who you are. It won’t underestimate you."

The crystal’s light slowly faded.

"The ritual is complete," Asteria announced. "Malachar’s influence is truly gone. You’re clear to proceed."

Hilda immediately began organizing her devices. "We need to place the stabilizers simultaneously. The timing has to be precise—if one goes active before the others, the energy backlash could—"

"Could what?" Leah asked.

"Destabilize the dungeon further. Possibly trigger early manifestation." Hilda handed devices to Sylnara, Borin, and Mosswood. "Each of you takes one to your designated point. We’ll synchronize via these communication crystals." She distributed those as well. "When I give the signal, activate the device by pressing this button. Hold it for three seconds. Then get clear."

"And the south device?" Owen asked.

Hilda looked at the dungeon. Its glow was visible even in daylight now, pulsing like a heartbeat. "I’ll place that one myself. At the entrance."

"Not alone." Leah stepped forward. "I’m going with you."

"The guardian—"

"Is exactly why you need someone who can fight." Leah’s amber eyes were steady. "You focus on the device. I’ll focus on anything that tries to stop you."

Hilda hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. But if I say run, you run."

"Deal."

---

They split into four groups.

Sylnara and her wardens headed north toward the sacred grove. Borin and his engineers took the east ridge. Mosswood and the druids disappeared into the forest toward the west. Hilda and Leah approached the dungeon’s entrance directly.

Owen and the rest waited at the central point, monitoring through the communication crystals.

"North device in position," Sylnara’s voice came through. "Awaiting signal."

"East device ready," Borin confirmed.

"West device placed," Mosswood reported. "The land is... restless. It knows something’s coming."

Owen looked at the dungeon. Its pulse was faster now. More urgent.

"South device approaching," Hilda’s voice was tense. "The guardian is... it’s not attacking yet. But it’s watching."

"Describe it," Yuki said.

"Big. Made of stone and light. No face, but it definitely has eyes. It’s standing at the entrance, completely still." A pause. "Leah’s with me. She’s in her transformed state. The guardian hasn’t moved."

"Probably waiting for you to make the first move," Alfred said.

"Then we won’t make one. Just placing the device." Sounds of movement. "Got it positioned. Ready to activate on your signal."

Owen looked at the others. "Everyone ready?"

Nods all around.

"On my count. Three. Two. One. ACTIVATE."

Through the crystals, he heard four simultaneous clicks.

The ground trembled.

The dungeon’s pulse stuttered—then steadied. The glow dimmed slightly. The pressure in the air lessened.

"It’s working," Hilda breathed. "The stabilizers are counteracting the bleed. We’ve bought time."

"How much?" Owen asked.

"Hard to say. Hours, not days. Maybe twelve. Maybe less." Hilda’s voice tightened. "The guardian’s moving."

"What’s it doing?"

"Turning. Toward us. Toward Leah."

Through the bond, Owen felt Leah’s focus sharpen. Then her voice came through—calm, controlled, absolutely certain.

"It’s fine. It’s just looking. Hilda, finish your calibration."

"Hilda’s hands are shaking. "Almost done. Just need to—"

The guardian moved.

Owen didn’t see it—couldn’t from this distance. But he felt the impact through the ground, through the air, through the sudden spike of adrenaline in Leah’s emotional state.

"LEAH!"

"I’m fine. It hit me. I blocked." Her voice was strained. "Hilda, how much longer?"

"Thirty seconds!"

"Thirty seconds of this?" A crash. A roar. "Fine. Thirty seconds. I can do thirty seconds."

The ground shook again. And again. Each impact sent tremors through the plateau.

"Twenty seconds!"

More crashes. Leah’s roars mixing with something else—the guardian’s voice, perhaps, though it sounded like grinding stone and crackling light.

"Ten seconds! DONE! DEVICE ACTIVE!"

"Then RUN!" Leah’s voice was raw.

Owen felt her move fast, faster than he’d ever felt her move. The golden lion form at full sprint, something enormous chasing behind.

They burst from the dungeon’s direction together. Leah, transformed and bleeding from a dozen wounds. The guardian, massive and relentless, one arm raised to strike.

Owen moved.

Sovereignty of Space-Time activated. The world slowed. He crossed the distance in frozen moments, Dragon’s Breath already building in his chest.

Time snapped back.

The guardian’s arm descended toward Leah. Owen’s fire met it mid-swing. Stone and light collided with dragon fire hot enough to melt reality. The guardian’s arm shattered.

It didn’t scream. Didn’t react. Just turned its faceless attention to Owen.

Then, slowly, it retreated. Back toward the dungeon’s direction. Back to its post.

The battle was over.

Leah collapsed, transformation failing. Yuki caught her before she hit ground.

"Stubborn lion," Yuki said.

"Got the job done." Leah’s voice was weak but satisfied. "Device is active. We have time."

Hilda stumbled up, still clutching her calibration tools. "Twelve hours. Maybe thirteen. That’s all we bought."

Twelve hours.

Owen looked at the dungeon. At his wounded friend. At the people who’d followed him this far.

"Then let’s rest for eight. Prepare for four. And enter at dawn."

No one argued.

---

They made camp at the plateau’s edge, close enough to watch the dungeon, far enough to breathe. Alfred produced medical supplies and tended Leah’s wounds. Odessa’s Azure Sky Dragon kept watch from above. Uru curled on Yuki’s shoulder, pulsing with quiet comfort.

---

Dawn came.

The party assembled at the dungeon’s entrance. The guardian stood motionless, ignoring them now that they’d proven they could pass with the dragon King’s Presence.

Leah stood with them, wounds healed enough to fight. Hilda had her tools ready, planning to monitor from outside. Caelen had chosen to enter...."Someone needs to document this," he’d said, though his eyes held more curiosity than duty.

Owen looked at each of them. Yuki. Leah. Odessa. Alfred. Caelen. His family.

"Twelve hours inside. Maybe less. Maybe more. Time moves differently in these dungeons." He turned to the entrance. "When we come out, everything changes. The fragment will be ours. Drak’thar will wake. The Will will notice."

"Then we’d better make it count," Leah said.

They stepped forward together.

The guardian didn’t move.

The dungeon’s light enveloped them.

And the descent into the third Story Dungeon began.