The dragon's harem

Chapter 800 The Beaver Gate

Arad and Tempo landed at the end of a long gate, staring at a massive dungeon-like gate, the ruins of a long-forgotten civilization. The three approached the gate and Tempo illuminated the place with his burning flame hair, he stood there like a torch, his eyes dripping fire as he inspected the place.

”Those are old; even I donʼt know what those writings are.” He said, looking at Arad. ”Do you feel any magic around here?”

”Not just magic, this place has more than the elvish capital. If mana was heat, weʼre getting closer to the heart of a volcano.” He touched the gate. ”Flatail, do you know anything?”

”This door separates the sealʼs room from the outer world. Beaver monks are sent inside with food and supplies for a month and they maintain the seal. They do switch each month, but itʼs tiring work.”

”Beaver language, youʼre already getting closer to humanoid level.” Tempo smiled.

”We are the smartest.” Flatail said with pride, ”But, I donʼt know how it happened, but we need to get inside.” He looked at Arad with a worried face. ”That guard said the seal is about to break, but this place is too quiet like it was a flash alarm.”

Arad threw his hands at the gate and started pushing, ”Letʼs get inside and look for ourselves.” The veins on his arms bulged as he pushed with all of his strength, and he started sweating. The door was refusing to budge.

”Iʼll help.” Tempo jumped in and started pushing, yet both of them couldnʼt get the gate to open, the harder they pushed, the more useless it seemed, raw strength alone wouldnʼt open it.

”Come on, Arad push, push harder! Are those muscles just for show?” Flatail called from above Aradʼs head, waving his tiny arms.

”Come and push if you know how to speak.” Arad growled at him, and Flatail looked away, sweating beneath his fur. ”Well, I didnʼt pump my wood lately…I doubt Iʼm in shape.”

”Come! Give it a try,” Tempo looked at him with a large smile. ”Weʼll figure a way to open it. It seems stuck to me.”

”I can just break it.” Arad mumbled, ”But I might kill the beavers inside and destroy the seal, so thatʼs not an option.”

Flatail stood before the gate, took a deep breath, and planted his tail on the ground. ”No dam is built without breaking any teeth.” He threw his small arms at the gate, and growled, ”GAAAA!”

CLAP! The gate slammed open so fast it startled Arad and Tempo. Flatail froze in place, unable to believe his eyes as dust rushed out and the cave shook.

”Was it made so only a beaver could open it?” Arad said and turned toward Tempo.

”Those things arenʼt common, but they do exist.” He replied with a smile.

Flatail turned toward Arad and Tempo with a proud face, ”Did you see that? My supreme power.” He burst laughing.

From the dust rushing out of the gate behind Flatail, a beaver appeared with a stick in her hand. She approached Flatail and stabbed him in the tail, ”You idiot! Itʼs still a week off the time of opening!” She growled.

”KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Flatail cried, ”What was that for?!” He spun around holding his tail. ”My precious tail.” He cried, clenching a fist. ”What do you…” He was about to swing at her, but the moment he saw her face, he froze in place.

”Speak for yourself?” She growled at him, ”Why did you open the gate?”

”Ah! Well…” He started stuttering, ”What should I say… thank you?”

”Ha?” She tilted her head, confused. ”Whatʼs your problem? Why did you open the gate before itʼs time?!”

”Isnʼt the seal breaking? Bevalina sent us.” Arad said as he approached them, ”We need to check the seal.”

”Itʼs only a matter of making it bigger, thatʼs all. Why call strangers here? Get out!” She shouted.

”Sheʼs right! Right!” Flatail cheered with her. ”Get out!” He yelled.

Everyone looked at him. ”You came with us.” Tempo sighed.

”You brought them here.” She stared at him with a disappointed face.

”Well, well, Milady. Iʼve only come here to check on your wellbeing, hearing that the seal was growing weaker, by beaver heart couldnʼt just leave you here to suffer alone.” He said with a smile, his tail still bleeding.

”Whatʼs wrong with you?” She growled and turned toward the inside. ”Leave and donʼt return! Youʼre disturbing our work.”

”Wait!” Flatail called with a gasp. ”We need to get inside.”

”I said leave. That means you arenʼt welcome.” She glared back at him. ”I donʼt care what youʼre up to, but I know for a fact youʼre only increasing our workload.”

”Arad…” Flatail looked at him, ”We need to get inside. We canʼt leave her… I mean the beavers inside.”

”You were just switching sides. Pick one…” Arad stared back at him, ”Which one are you with…”

Flatail looked between Arad and the lady beaver. ”Look at her, such beautiful face, teeth, fur, and tail. Iʼve never seen a beaver with such beauty, but I canʼt help but notice.” He looked at Arad with sparking eyes, ”They are dull and chipped, her teeth and claws. I want to help her, stop this cycle of beavers burning their life and talent to keep an old rotten seal. But I know a single beaver canʼt change the course of a river alone. Iʼm far too weak.” He smiled.

”But, a dragon can change its course. Will you help me? Please?”

Arad sighed, ”Fine. Iʼll see what I can do.” His neck twisted, and turned as he started shifting into a beaver.

As the closing gate reached them, Arad stopped it with both hands. ”If this gate only opens to beavers, then Iʼll become one.”

The lady beavers stared back with a gasp, ”Youʼre a druid? And what did that beaver say?”

Aradʼs eyes flashed purple as the muscles on his small beaver arms bulged and the door slapped open with enough force that the hinges shattered.

”Iʼm not a human, nor a beaver.” His body started expanding, ”This door is meant to only allow beavers in, but it shall not stop my kind.”

His arms turned into massive legs with claws and jet-black wings expanded from his back. The cave couldnʼt hold his massive body so he started sucking whatever touches his scales into his stomach. Doing that, Arad expanded the cave enough for his draconic body, and only his snout could fit through the gate.

Flatail and the beaver lady cried tears and snot rushed out of their noses as they crawled away, ”Itʼs huge!” She cried, ”Mommy! Iʼm scared, why is he so big!” Flatail crawled faster than her.

”Letʼs see whoʼs the bigger monster, me or that thing you keep sealed.”

Powerful, arrogant, magnificent, and immense, dragons are one of the strongest creatures in the natural order and are like natural disasters. You canʼt yell and tell them off, theyʼll go wherever they want.

Tempo patted Aradʼs chin. ”Beautiful and smooth obsidian scales dripping with magic and youth. For a dragon this size, youʼre fairly young, but at the same time have a denser presence than most wyrms. I bet the Titans would panic if you showed up uninvited to our land.”

Arad shifted back into his human form. ”If you understand, then get out of the way.” Arad glared at the beaver lady as he walked forward, and Flatail barely managed to follow behind him.

”Donʼt worry, he doesnʼt bite.” He said to the beaver lady with a scared smile. ”Come on, letʼs go.” He extended his hand to her.

”What is Lady Bevalina thinking about?”

”Theyʼve detected that the seal is breaking so they called for help to the surface. I was tasked to bring druids, but I ended up finding a dragon druid and…” Flatail looked at Tempo. ”A volcanic titan.”

”A what? A titan and a dragon? Arenʼt they at war?” She gasped.

”Those two seem to be friends.”

As the beaver lady and Flatail tried to forget fear by talking, Arad and Tempo started their own conversation as they headed toward the sealʼs room.

”Do you really intend on fighting the abomination in the seal?” Tempo asked with a worried face.

”You said Iʼm an idiot and I might agree. But Iʼm not dumb.” Arad replied, ”I only care about my wives. I canʼt put them in danger, and I canʼt let myself die and harm them.” He turned with glowing purple eyes. ”Weʼll check the seal and I can tell after sensing the magic coming from it, whether itʼs a fight we can win or not, or if itʼs worth it.” He looked at Flatail and the lady beaver in the back. ”Itʼs sad, but my wives are more important than some beavers.”

”The abomination is a threat to the world.” Tempo nodded, ”Will this change your stance.”

”Iʼve got this strong in less than a year. Itʼll be wiser to let the beavers hold the seal for a few more months or years before challenging the abomination, just to make sure our victory is guaranteed.”

”This abomination could hinder my plans of peace between the humanoids and the Titans.” Tempo smiled, ”Would you help now? Itʼs for the greater good, at least for me, a friend.”

”You said it; youʼre a friend, not one of my wives. Iʼll not help; the Titans can deal with it.”

Tempo laughed, ”Well, I have an older sister, care to check her out?”

”Selling your sister to kill a monster?” Arad stared at him, lifting an eyebrow. ”And arenʼt we on war? The dragons and titans donʼt get along, do they?”

”Just as we two can talk like this, peace among the races is possible. I plan to create a world where everyone can live shoulder to shoulder, where the Titans move the mountains and the humanoids carve them, a world where dragons change the weather and morph the ground, everyone works together to create a massive nation of every race.”

”Thatʼs a ridiculous goal.”

”Father said the same thing.”

”Then listen to him.”

”But arenʼt you achieving what Iʼm dreaming of? We Titans came to you with peace, humans, elves, and even monsters live in harmony on your land.” He smiled. ”Sister shares my thoughts; Iʼll introduce you to her after we finish this abomination.”