Even though they were siblings, Salovis was noticeably smaller than Leon by a whole size.
This difference was especially obvious when the two Red Dragons flew side by side toward the Lost Plateau.
In any case, Salovis had already embraced her fate and learned to console herself: her brother was abnormal, and she was the real epitome of a normal Red Dragon.
The Lost Plateau wasn’t far from Watchtower Port, and naturally, it wasn’t far from the Volcanic Island either. For two flying dragons, even greater distances weren’t much of a challenge. All they needed to do was cross a forest—the one ruled by Cecilia—and, if exaggerated a bit, they’d arrive in no time.
Leon descended onto a nearby tall mountain after surveying the landscape from above.
"What are we doing here?" Salovis descended next to him, her gaze darting around. She noticed that the surroundings were utterly barren—no Fire Giant strongholds, no Frost Giant Village, absolutely nothing. Well, except for what appeared to be a Snowman meandering in the distance, almost invisible at first glance.
"Something important," Leon replied. His answer was as good as saying nothing at all.
He was intently observing the surroundings. The undulating mountain range was referred to as Dragon Veins in geomancy, its contours and directions teeming with flows of energy and information.
Natural and man-made structures, such as roads, rivers, and bridges, influenced the terrain significantly. In feng shui, trees play critical roles: connecting airflow, breaking wind, shading forms, and gathering energy. Similarly, the shape, size, and arrangement of buildings affect the surrounding geomantic environment...
Leon gestured for a moment, then transformed into his human form—it was impossible to hold a pen in Dragon Form, even though Sword Control Technique allowed him to wield a sword. From the extra-dimensional Sleeve of the Universe, he took out paper and a pen, ready to draw a map. After all, even a crude map was better than relying solely on memory.
"What are you up to?" Salovis craned her neck and blurted impatiently, "Don’t tell me you’re here for sightseeing."
Leon sighed. Sure enough, his naive younger sister was no attentive servant. If Cecilia found him busy, she’d definitely avoid disturbing him. "Don’t worry about what I’m doing... I don’t need you sticking around. You can wander nearby, and who knows, you might even find an ideal nesting spot."
"Fine, I’m off then." Salovis leapt from the mountaintop, gliding toward the Snowman she had noticed earlier.
Salovis quickly arrived in front of the Snowman, loudly declaring that its snowy disguise was useless against her. She began shouting at the Snowman—not because she was hungry or planning to feast on it, but purely because she was bored and wanted some fun.
Leon soon finished his map—a particularly crude and rough one. The goal wasn’t accuracy but merely to enhance memory. However, when Salovis still hadn’t returned, he started scanning the area for her.
Among the vast whiteness, a splash of red was easy to spot.
Leon resumed Dragon Form, Gathering Form and Scattering Energy, and landed directly in front of Salovis. "What are you doing?"
"You startled me..." Salovis pointed at the corpse on the ground. "I killed a Snowman."
"I asked you to find a nesting site, not to kill a Snowman. Why did you kill it? Did it provoke you?" Leon glanced at the Snowman’s corpse.
"It didn’t provoke me. It was just fun." Salovis replied matter-of-factly, showing no signs of guilt. "Have you seen a Giant Evil Snowman? They’re said to be taller than an ordinary Snowman, three times the size of a human, and capable of Frozen Breath—strong and savage."
"I never paid attention." Leon responded flatly. "We’re leaving."
As Leon flapped his wings and took off, Salovis hurried to follow.
Leon landed on another tall mountain, continuing his observations and working on his map, all while sensing the winds of magic around him.
"Brother, you’ve got to help me this time."
This time, Salovis didn’t need Leon to wait for her to cause an incident—she returned just as he had finished sketching his current map.
"You’re injured." Leon gave her a quick glance to find many visible wounds on the Red Dragon’s body.
"I encountered a Centipede Demon." Salovis gestured animatedly. "I didn’t expect it to be fire-resistant, capable of burrowing, and sharp enough to chew through my scales."
The Centipede Demon was indeed no pushover. With serrated fangs lining its massive jaws and wing-like appendages flaring back from its head, its challenge rating was an intimidating 11. Reflecting on this, Leon asked, "Why did it provoke you this time?"
Salovis hesitated briefly, then replied, "It didn’t run away when it saw me."
"It’s stronger than you. Why would it run? Would you flee if you encountered a White Dragon?" Leon finally understood why Red Dragons were considered the strongest among Colorful Dragons yet had the lowest adult numbers. Their chaotic and malevolent nature drove them to recklessness, and recklessness often led to death.
Tiamat aligning with the Githyanki and sending young Red Dragons to collaborate likely had a dual motive: to help these reckless teenage dragons survive through teamwork and to turn a profit along the way.
"Brother, you will help me, right?" Salovis asked expectantly.
"The Centipede Demon isn’t an intelligent creature. It doesn’t fly and certainly won’t launch an aerial attack on you. If you insist on courting death, I won’t assist you against it; at most, I’ll avenge you posthumously." Leon sneered.
"Didn’t you say you’d help me in times of danger?" Salovis protested.
"Of course, I’d help you—but there are conditions." Leon clarified, "If you were trying to clear the Centipede Demon out of a potential nesting site and couldn’t defeat it, I’d step in. But if you’re just idling around and provoking it for fun... I’m not your henchman or errand boy."
"You’ve had it way too easy." Leon reminisced. "Do you know what my youth was like? Back then, I wasn’t as strong as I am now. I was terrified of Rocs and didn’t dare fly, only leaving the lair at night... Unlike you, who dares to provoke a Centipede Demon without a second thought."
Salovis remained silent.
"Actually, I’ve been thinking: maybe you should return to the Githyanki." Leon suggested. "The way you are now, trying to establish territory in the Lost Plateau—I’m genuinely worried you won’t survive long."
"No way! I absolutely won’t go back to the Githyanki." Salovis exclaimed. "A good horse doesn’t graze on pastures it’s already left behind."
"I’m still a teenage dragon. Just wait until I’m a young dragon, then I’ll be amazing." Salovis glared at Leon. "You said I could live on the Volcanic Island for as long as I want as long as I followed the rules. I’ll wait until I’m a young dragon before establishing territory."
"I keep my word." Leon said, though he doubted she could genuinely stick to the rules.
With Salovis proving a liability, Leon soon began preparations to return. By the next day, he went out alone.
Over half a month, Leon explored practically the entire Lost Plateau and a radius of several hundred kilometers around the Volcanic Island. Afterward, he locked himself in his room for a week, formulating an enormous plan to transform the Volcanic Island into a perfect feng shui treasury—a hidden haven of wind and energy convergence.