The Scoia'tael's secret schemes remained entirely unnoticed—or perhaps were merely left unnoticed.
Lann lingered a while longer with the Ferenc clan, sending his subordinates out on various tasks to gain experience. But by now, the experience required to level up was too much to be earned quickly through side missions and monster hunts alone.
When his experience bar finally filled up to about three-quarters, he knew it was time to head up the mountain. According to Saskia, the red dragon, Keltullis, had suffered quite serious injuries. So after all these days, either the dragon had recovered enough to flee, or it was still badly wounded and on the brink of death. Either way, it was time for Lann to pay it a visit.
When it came to matters of expertise, Lann chose to follow the advice of professionals.
This time, he didn't bring anyone else besides the ice giant and Saskia. If the dragon had recovered, a flying beast that could breathe fire in wide arcs was far more dangerous to ordinary soldiers than the ice giant. Lann didn't want to risk unnecessary casualties on what could easily turn into a death trap.
At the moment, Lann and Saskia stood on opposite shoulders of the ice giant, as if riding a mobile fortress. The rugged mountain trail felt smooth beneath their feet, and, for the first time in forever, Lann didn't run into any foraging beasts or berserk monsters. The quiet was so peaceful, it almost felt suspicious.
Soon, the ever-present snow of the Mahakam mountains began to vanish, and the rocky terrain beneath was revealed. The temperature gradually rose, shifting from deep winter into what felt like early spring.
North of the Hag's Pit lay the lair of the red dragon Keltullis, situated in the heart of a dormant volcano. Before the dragon took up residence, the Ferenc clan had used the place as a natural forge for smithing.
The closer they got to the dragon's lair, the hotter it became. The path ahead was now littered with scorched and half-burnt corpses of monsters—creatures lured here by Chief Vavrinek's men to attack the dragon. Clearly, even with most of its strength sapped by drugs, the red dragon had retained its fire-breathing capability.
As the ice giant's heavy footsteps echoed through the mountains, the dragon in the depths of the range stirred.
"Roaaar!!"
The sound rang out like a great bell through the valley. Any ordinary beast would have turned tail and fled, terrified by the presence of a top-tier predator.
But the ice giant had no intention of backing down from a winged lizard. When it glanced at Lann and saw no sign of restraint, it took that as encouragement. Like a massive bellows, it began to inhale deeply.
Lann's body instantly lit up with glowing emerald sparkles, and in a flash of golden light, he vanished from the giant's shoulder—reappearing twenty paces away. And then—
"MY GOD!!"
It was as if someone had set off a sonic cannon in the mountains. An invisible shockwave burst forth from the ice giant's roar, sweeping through the air and sending dust and pebbles flying in all directions. Even the cliffs seemed to tremble beneath the sheer force of the sound.
Lann had already dashed to the side and covered his ears. Saskia, still perched atop the giant's shoulder, calmly picked at her ear, unfazed. She took a deep breath—and responded with a roar of her own.
"Raaaawr—!"
The griffin emblem on his chest trembled slightly. Though she remained in human form, she had clearly used magic to replicate her true voice. The regal might of a dragon was fully present in that roar. After the roars of two dragons and a giant sounded one after another in the mountains, the surroundings became strangely quiet, and even the wind stopped making noises.
[Rustle—rustle.]
Lann, with his heightened witcher senses, noticed several dark specks moving in the distance. Winged or not, burrowers or runners, all the creatures in the area were now panicking, scattering desperately away from the mountain range.
Once the twin roars and howling wind had faded, Lann reappeared in a golden flash on the ice giant's shoulder, exchanging a glance with Saskia.
The young dragoness seemed deep in thought. When she noticed Lann watching her, she hesitated, then said, "Keltullis really hasn't recovered. That roar... it sounded weak. But there's something else in her voice too—some emotion I can't quite read. We'll have to meet her to be sure."
Indeed—no one understands dragons better than dragons themselves.
Most likely, Keltullis hadn't realized from the footsteps that the intruder was an ice giant, so she roared in warning. But in doing so, she revealed both her physical condition and her precise location—making it easier for Lann and the others to find the lair.
From then on, the red dragon made no further sound.
Following the lingering trails of heat, Lann and his team soon arrived at a volcanic crater, radiating intense waves of warmth. The ice giant frowned at the environment but didn't show any real discomfort. Though it lived in the snowy peaks, it was still a creature of flesh and blood—not some elemental spirit that disintegrated at the mere touch of heat. In fact, during harsh winters, ice giants would sometimes take refuge in the mountains' natural hot springs to survive.
...
Muffled roars echoed through the cave, filled with a pain so raw that even without Saskia's translation, Lann could feel it.
Saskia's expression suddenly shifted. As the ice giant rumbled forward, she leapt down from its shoulder and landed in front of Lann, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Lann, could you wait here for a bit? I need to go in and... speak with Keltullis first."
Lann frowned slightly.
Just then, the anguished roar from deep within the cave suddenly rose in pitch, becoming even more agonizing.
It was as if something clicked for Lann. He gave Saskia a small nod.
A golden light enveloped the dragon girl's humanoid body, and within its glow, her ten-meter-long gold-green dragon form returned, coiling through the underground tunnel.
"Roooaaarr—!"
Saskia let out a tentative roar toward the depths. A far more enraged roar soon echoed back. But she didn't give up. Instead, she responded again and again with friendly, unguarded calls. Finally, the growling voice inside began to soften.
Unfolding her green wings—which couldn't fully spread in the narrow cave—Saskia instead surged forward with the aid of wind magic, her footsteps thundering louder than the ice giant's as she raced into the depths. Clearly, she was growing anxious.
Moments later, the red dragon's unrestrained wails of pain began to shake the spacious cavern. The rumbling sound reverberated violently, forcing Lann to wince from the sheer volume. His eardrums screamed in protest, and he quickly pulled a pair of earplugs from his inventory and shoved them in.
"My god?" the ice giant asked curiously upon seeing Lann's odd gesture.
Lann ignored the lumbering brute. He waited until the red dragon's roars gradually faded into silence before signaling the giant to move forward.
Before long, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber—less like a lair, and more like the personal dwelling of a massive creature. While there was no furniture or carvings to speak of, the architectural design was striking. Though utterly alien to human or elven sensibilities, it was oddly harmonious in its own right.
Dragons were the ancient rulers of the continent—creatures of great intelligence, non-human beings far different from ordinary monsters.
And unsurprisingly, Lann also saw heaps of gold, silver, and gemstones strewn about. Some of it had been gathered by Keltullis herself; the rest had clearly been 'donated' by others.
Saskia had already returned to her human form and stood beside Keltullis, eyes filled with concern as she watched the red dragon. Her earlier clothing had been shredded during her transformation, so she'd hastily thrown on what looked like a piece of ornamental armor from the collection.
Keltullis, the red dragon, lay curled in a corner, gasping weakly. All hostility toward Saskia had vanished. Her current condition was pitiful—her wounds from the battle with the ice giant hadn't healed at all. Even the head she rested on bore broken, splintered scales and bone spurs, some still embedded in bloody flesh.
When she sensed Lann and the giant approaching, she slowly lifted her head and rasped, "Human… look. Look at Mahakam, look at the dwarves. Look at what you and your giant did to me…"
Despite the dragon's massive form, it wasn't her that drew the eye most in the cave.
It was the dragon eggs. Four of them.
Keltullis had coiled her body into a tight circle, encasing the eggs in her protection. Each egg rested atop a glowing volcanic gem, casting a soft red light that illuminated their molten-colored shells.
But the glow was dull. Ominous.
The eggs were about as tall as an average dwarf, but their shells were rough, uneven, and thin in places. In some spots, one could even see the fibrous membrane within—and inside, the faint twitching of underdeveloped dragon embryos.
These eggs had been forced from the mother's body before they were fully formed. This was what Keltullis meant by what Mahakam, the dwarves, Lann, and the giant had done to her.
The Ferenc Clan had mixed massive quantities of abortion-inducing potions into the tributes. Dwarves had lured dangerous monsters up the mountains, pushing the pregnant dragon into intense motion. And finally, the brutal beating from the ice giant had sealed her fate.
Keltullis miscarried, laying four malformed eggs.
And just as the red dragon was speaking to Lann, one of the embryos inside an egg abruptly stopped moving. The fibrous membrane around it dulled in color.
The red dragon let out a heart-wrenching cry that shook the entire chamber.
Faced with such a moving scene, Lann's expression remained cold and unchanged.
"Don't complain to me, red dragon," he said flatly. "The only ones who'll pity you now are your own kind—or monsters who see no value in human life."
He shook his head.
"I fought you to save my companions from your claws and flames. And the dwarves—they set their traps to avenge the countless kin who died at your hands. Their fury has been brewing for centuries, born from the oppression and exploitation they suffered at your feet."
"Your fate doesn't deserve sympathy. In fact, one could say it's nothing more than justice."
Saskia glanced at Lann, as if wanting to speak but holding back. Yet, being well-educated, she understood that he wasn't wrong.
"You've brought along my kin... this not-so-bright but kind-hearted little green dragon." Keltullis gave Saskia a look. Though it clearly disdained the young dragoness's ideals, it couldn't deny that she had aided it in its moment of suffering, earning its goodwill.
"Then why are you here, human? To mock me like a victor? To claim my hoard of treasure? Or are you simply here to follow those dwarves' orders and end my life?"
Lann chuckled softly and shook his head. "Spare me the provocations. The dwarves can't 'order' me around. And since I brought Saskia here and allowed her to help you, you should've already realized—I'm not here to take your life."
"Unless… you really push your luck."
As his words fell, the ice giant behind him pounded a fist against its chest in perfect synchrony. A massive surge of magical energy burst from its body. The oak bracelet in giant's palm uncoiled, and within two breaths, transformed into a gnarled staff that shimmered with a metallic sheen.
The red dragon's pupils contracted. That staff, if smashed against a skull, would definitely be more brutal than even the ice giant's fist.
It cast a sorrowful look at its four dragon eggs. Just moments ago, while they were speaking, one of the embryos within had stopped moving. Although the faintest breath of life still lingered, it was now visibly beyond hatching.
No—in truth, judging by appearance alone, none of the four eggs were viable. And yet, driven by fierce maternal instinct, the red dragon still guarded them.
In many works of literature, dragons are often painted as savage beasts, indifferent to their offspring. But this couldn't be further from the truth. As has been mentioned before, dragons once ruled over a civilized continent. And the more advanced the civilization, the deeper its regard for ethics and morality—and among those, the protection of their young sits at the very core.
"You say you don't want to kill me. Then you must be here as a messenger for the dwarves, trying to negotiate? Trying to make me leave Mahakam?" The red dragon's scaly face twisted into a distinctly human sneer. "But look at my children. What do you think is left to talk about?"
"Human, child of the elder blood. If you and your giant do not kill me now, then once the fates of my children are sealed—regardless of the outcome—I will turn Mahakam into a sea of flames." Keltullis fixed Lann with a burning gaze. "Dragons do not go back on their word."
Lann gave a solemn nod. "I understand."
"But your assumption is mistaken. I'm not here today for the dwarves. I'm here on behalf of myself—and the kingdom that stands behind me—to negotiate the terms of your surrender."
"Surrender? Terms?" The red dragon's slit pupils narrowed into near-invisible slivers.
"That's right." Lann nodded calmly. "You attacked my soldiers. As their oathbound commander, I am duty-bound to protect them—and to kill you. But right now, you clearly no longer have the power to resist. You are my prisoner. And under human law, you are required to negotiate your ransom—to trade wealth for your life."
His words were like sparks to a powder keg.
"Prisoner? Powerless? Trade for life?" With each word, the red dragon's fury mounted. "Human, do you even know who you're speaking to? You've stolen the glories of this land and cloaked your weakness in arrogance! Do you even know what a dragon truly is?"
A wave of blistering heat surged forward, the wind pressure nearly tangible. If not for the eggs—those near-dead, fragile remnants—the dragon might have dragged its wounded body forward and fought Lann to the death right then and there.
But Lann remained composed, completely unmoved in the face of danger. Not only out of trust in the ice giant and Saskia—but also because he was confident in the terms he was about to propose.
"Of course, the terms go both ways. Among the conditions for your ransom is this: you will serve Cintra for the rest of your days."
"And among the obligations I take on in return… is this: the rescue of your children."
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