12 Escape!

In the verdant expanse that served as the dominion of the five colored dragons, the one known for their cunning and survival acumen among these majestic creatures, were black dragons, with Kasavia being particularly known for his shrewd understanding of the harsh realities of their world. He grasped the essence of eliminating threats before they could burgeon into formidable adversaries.

"Roar! Release Mother Dragon, you vile creature!" Torenço roar, a blend of youthful fierceness and naivety, echoed across the landscape. His neck arched proudly as he challenged the black dragon, his voice carrying the tentative power of a dragon's roar, yet tinged with a childlike quality.

The black dragon, pinning their mother under his massive limbs, turned his gaze towards the sound. His sinister gaze seemed to be calculating the location of their nest, betrayed his sinister intentions, hinting at a dark plan to target the unsuspecting offspring after dealing with their mother, Shia, to devour the unsuspecting green dragon younglings after the battle.

The chaos of the moment, however, provided an unexpected opportunity. Shia, seizing the chance, struggled against her captor. With a mighty effort, she broke free, her wings beating the air as she proclaimed her resolve for revenge before disappearing into the horizon.

"Kasavia, this isn't over. I will have my revenge," she declared, before soaring away towards the northwest.

Bruce gleaned two crucial pieces of information from her words: the black dragon's name was Kasavia, and their mother had chosen to flee, leaving them behind.

Torenço, oblivious to the danger, prepared to roar again. Bruce, frustrated, smacked him with a paw. "Fool, don't drag us into your death wish."

The strike silenced Torenço instantly, his eyes flashing with anger at Bruce.

"Ha, what a coward," Torenzo sneered, undeterred.

Bruce felt a mix of helplessness and annoyance towards his impulsive younger brother. In a swift motion, he raised his forelimb, striking Torenzo with considerable force, knocking him unconscious.

As Torenzo lay stunned, Bruce issued a command to Carona, their sibling, to dispose of Torenzo's unconscious form. Their inherited memories spoke of a grim truth: female dragons who lost their territories seldom dared to return for their offspring. In the draconic annals, such self-sacrifice was virtually unheard of.

"Carona, throw this fool off the cliff. We must leave the nest and flee. Mother won't return," Bruce commanded.

Their inherited memories told of female dragons who lost their territories and never dared to return for their offspring. Such self-sacrifice was unheard of in dragon history.

Bruce hurried to the center of the nest, his claws digging feverishly into the earth. He was determined to salvage what he could of their mother's treasures.

"Every gem counts," he thought.

"Bruce, Kasavia is approaching! Run! Are you still after the jewels?" Carona's voice, urgent and fearful, reached him as she pushed Torenzo off the cliff, her wings flapping in distress.

Bruce grabbed a handful of gems, then, using his wings to aid his sprint, followed Carona, leaping off the cliff edge.

He knew covering the remaining gems was futile; Kasavia's cunning would leave no stone unturned. Escaping was their only chance.

The black dragon's power was overwhelming, and hiding was their only hope. Their inexperienced wings, disproportionate to their bodies, flapped desperately, but they couldn't truly fly.

The two young dragons tumbled down the cliffside, crashing into the dense jungle below. They landed with muffled groans, leaves cushioning their fall.

"Ouch, that hurt," Bruce muttered, shaking off the leaves and scanning for the others.

Despite the dizzying height of their fall, they were miraculously unscathed, save for a mild dizziness.

Bruce let out a weary chuckle, relieved yet burdened by the uncertain journey ahead.

After resting briefly, Bruce watched as Carona emerged from the pile of leaves. The thick layer of foliage had cushioned their fall, sparing them from more severe injuries.

Bruce then realized that Torenço, whom he had knocked unconscious, was nowhere to be seen. Looking up, he found Torenço awkwardly wedged in a tree branch, still unconscious. Bruce couldn't help but think that his own swipe had been a bit too forceful.

While Carona went to retrieve Torenço, Bruce busied himself searching for the scattered jewels. Finding them, he promptly tossed them into his mouth.

He was curious about Carona's method of awakening Torenzo. To his surprise, he saw Carona skillfully use a branch to deliver a swift, precise hit between Torenço's legs. The shock jolted Torenço awake, and in a panic, he clamped his tail protectively and clumsily disentangled himself from the tree.

Bruce mentally applauded Carona's effectiveness, albeit with a mix of amusement and disbelief at the roughness towards her own brother.

The necessity of such drastic measures spoke volumes about Torenço's resilience; even a fall from great heights hadn't roused him.

Bruce swallowed the jewels, realizing that searching through the deep leaf litter while fleeing for their lives would be impractical.

Carona and Torenco could only sigh at Bruce's behavior. The treasures, so carefully guarded by their mother, were consumed as casually as snacks by Bruce. He wondered how their mother would react to such a sight.

To his astonishment, the few kilograms of jewels he had ingested boosted his strength significantly. The natural gemstones were of epic quality, granting him five random points of profit that could enhance various abilities like strength, defense, agility, or magical talents.

Without hesitation, Bruce allocated all five points to his mental power. He understood from his inherited memories that a dragon's magical prowess was directly linked to its spiritual strength. Moreover, stronger mental power broadened perception and enhanced other abilities, like the effect of their dragon powers.

While the immediate combat benefits of enhanced mental power might not be as visible as other abilities, Bruce knew that in the long run, this would greatly amplify his potential.

With his mental power now enhanced, Bruce shook off the remaining leaves and darted into the jungle depths. As for Carona and Torenço, he left the choice to follow to them. In the dragon world, where familial bonds were often overshadowed by the pursuit of territory and riches, each dragon's fate was largely their own to decide.