A soft golden ray of sunlight seeped through the silken drapes and landed on my face, stirring me from sleep.
I groaned, tossed and turned before blinking awake.
The first person I saw was Gwyneria.
Her face hovered inches from mine, a bright smile on her face. "Good morning, my liege."
I slowly sat up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. "Good morning, Gwyneria."
Before I knew it, Gwyneria squealed and leapt onto the bed beside me.
She wrapped her arms tightly around my shoulders in a bone crushing hug. "Oh master, you're even more adorable when you're sleepy. Watching you rest made my heart race the entire night."
I wheezed because she was squeezing me so tightly. "Gwyneria! You're crushing my ribs."
"Oh, sorry," she loosened her grip but kept her arms wrapped around me. "I just couldn't help myself. After naming those orcs, you were so exhausted that you fell asleep. I kept watch over you throughout the night."
I filled air back in my lungs.
Then I paused as I noticed we were in a grand bedroom chamber.
I sat on a king-size bed, it's frame inlaids with gold and precious jewels.
"Gwyneria," I turned slowly to look at her. "Where are we?"
Gwyneria smile widened. "Come with me, my liege."
She climbed off the bed and reached for my hand. Then she led me to the grand balcony.
I caught my breath sharply as she spread her arms. "This is the dragon's domain."
My eyes widened. We were inside an enormous floating castle, suspended in the clouds.
Glancing down, I could make out glimpses of distant mountains and forests below.
My jaws dropped. I've never seen anything like it in my life.
"This is amazing," I said, glancing sharply to Gwyneria. "How come I've never read or heard about this floating castle in any book?"
"That's because the dragon's domain is a secret," Gwyneria answered. "During the golden age of dragons, when we roamed and ruled the earth, every Dragon possessed their own domain."
"Then everything changed when the great war erupted between mankind and demons. We dragons were hunted and killed for our magic properties. Our domains were invaded and claimed by either men or demons."
Gwyneria paused as she brushed her fingers along the stone railing as if feeling it's lost history.
"This is the domain of the red dragons. This is my home. To protect it from scavengers, I cloaked it in the sky with magic, beyond the reach of men and demons alike. It has remained untouched for centuries."
She stretched out her hand and a portal spun front of me.
"I can take you to Luminis city in a second through my dimensional portals. It's very convenient. That's how I got you here."
I was baffled. "You can teleport through dimensions?"
Gwyneria smiled proudly. "Of course. I travel wherever I want to with ease. It's a lost knowledge known to only dragons."
My eyes brightened."Can you... teach me how to do that?"
"I would do anything for my adorable master," Gwyneria pinched my cheeks. "Come with me. You're my first visitor in a thousand years. There's so much to see."
She turned and stepped into the portal. I hesitated, but then followed suit.
We emerged into a massive hall.
It was a throne room with towering pillars to support the ceiling. There were rows of ancient dragon statues line up perfectly around the hall.
At the center was an ocean of gold and precious stones.
I couldn't believe my eyes. I've never seen riches like this before. The pile was so large I was literally stepping on gold.
"Gwyneria," I whispered, picking up a gold jar. "This is..."
"The treasure of the Red Dragon tribe," she said proudly, arms crossed. "This is just a fragment. There are at least ten more chambers like this, some with even more gold. We dragons hoard treasures for millennia. It's our nature."
I laughed. "You don't mind if I borrow a few gold coins, do you?"
"What are you talking about, master," she tilted her head. "These gold are all yours. You may use them however you like."
"Wait, what?" My eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes," Gwyneria gestured to the treasures. "Everything that is mine is yours, my liege."
"Wow," I laughed. "Wow, this is great. Now I don't have to worry about feeding and lodging at Waurweth Academy."
Gwyneria walked up to me, her eyebrows creased. "My liege, don't mind me asking, but why do you want to go to Waurweth Academy?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" I replied, circling the mountain of gold. "I'm obsessed with magic. I've read every book and grimories I could lay my hands on in the castle, but the knowledge I've accumulated is just isn't enough. I want to learn more, meet powerful mages and grow stronger."
Gwyneria smirked. "Why didn't you say so? Come with me."
She opened another portal and led me through it.
* * * *
We emerged in a vast, towering library filled with endless shelves crammed with ancient times and grimories.
"There are over fifty thousand books on ancient magic here with spells that's been lost to time," Gwyneria said with pride. "Take your time time and read as much as you want. If it pleases you, I would be delighted to teach you ancient magic. I'm a great dragon after all."
I opened and closed my mouth.
Then I squealed and darted through the aisles like a kid in a candy shop. My fingers trailed along the spines of various books and scrolls on the shelves.
The royal library back home only has fragments of the books here.
My heart was racing with excitement. This is it. This was everything I ever wanted. I could spend my entire life in here, studying grimories and getting stronger.
Gwyneria followed me, her eyes bright. "So what do you think, my liege? Why bother with that human academy when you have all these forgotten knowledge to yourself?"
"Thank you, Gwyneria," I said, returning to her. "This is more than what I desire but I still need to enroll in Waurweth Academy and face real world challenges."
Gwyneria planted her hands on her hips and huffed. "Fine, but I'm coming too. You would need me out there in the real world, my liege."
I smiled. "Very well. I'll be glad to have you as my private tutor."
Gwyneria's eyes sparkled like gems.
Before I knew it, she pulled me into her bone crushing hug again.
"Oh, my liege," she cried out in excitement. "You don't know how happy that makes me feel. of course I'll be your private tutor."
"That reminds me," I said. "Where are the orcs?"
Gwyneria chuckled. "Oh, you will love this. They're at the training courtyard."
I blinked. The training courtyard?
What in the world were they doing there?