Palthiastrasz gently deterred his own queen. After all, what was to follow was a more intimate interaction between him and Alexstrasza. Even with his soul bound to the Overlord, the Red Dragon Prince felt a need for privacy in this moment.
"This is the first time you have rejected me, my dear," the Red Dragon Queen looked surprised. Though Palthiastrasz was outwardly formidable and decisive in commanding the Red Dragonflight, he was privately renowned for his profound devotion to her.
Palthiastrasz hesitated. "I... you know, my love, we are attending to the vitality of our young."
She chuckled softly. Alexstrasza's brows, previously furrowed with doubt, eased. "The souls of the hatchlings in these dragon eggs are still in the process of being conceived. Their nascent perceptions cannot yet pierce the eggshells. They remain oblivious to the outside world."
Palthiastrasz blushed. The hatchlings might not see, but another watchful presence certainly would! The Red Dragon Prince inwardly recoiled but maintained a facade of composure. He lifted Alexstrasza's slender hands, kissing them gently. "Forgive my fleeting thoughts, my love. Let us continue. Half our clutch still awaits your blessing!"
"Okay." Upon hearing this, the Red Dragon Queen leaned in with playful grace. Palthiastrasz knew further refusal would be futile, so their lips met in a delicate touch. The queen's kiss was gentle and sweet, a sensation that highlighted one of the reasons dragons favored humanoid forms for intimacy. The soft, delicate skin of humans, night elves, and high elves offered a sensitivity far beyond dragon scales, allowing them to truly feel each other's affection and their own pleasure.
After a gentle kiss, the Queen smiled, parting slightly: "Then let us continue... we shall wait until nightfall..."
Boom!
Before Alexstrasza could finish her words, a thunderous explosion rocked the hatchery!
"What happened!"
"Your Majesty, I shall go and see!"
Palthiastrasz knew in his heart that the Ruby Sanctum had been breached. As the foremost combatant after the Queen, he knew he must investigate immediately!
"Wait!"
The Red Dragon Queen cast a protective gaze over the scattered dragon eggs. Seeing these unhatched descendants, she swiftly conjured a barrier to shield them. "I will go with you!"
Then, long snouts began to protrude from the faces of the two high elves, a man and a woman. Their entire bodies began to shine with a scarlet luster, and their bright golden eyes also grew larger! Almost in the blink of an eye, they transformed from graceful high elves into two colossal, powerful red dragons. Parthiastrasz and Alexstrasza launched themselves skyward, their wings beating powerfully as they exited the cavern.
Galen was curious as to what force dared to assault the Red Dragonflight. Of the four major dragonflights, the Blue Dragonflight faced near-extinction ten millennia ago, the Green Dragonflight was ravaged by the Nightmare mere years prior, and the Bronze Dragonflight had been preoccupied combating the Infinite Dragonflight until recently. Alexstrasza is renowned as the Queen of Life, and the Red Dragonflight is famed for its tenacious vitality. Aided by Parthiastrasz's elite forces, the Red Dragonflight had long since restored its strength in recent years. Who would be so audacious?
Thus, Galen shifted his gaze, observing the other members of the Red Dragonflight. A colossal group of dragons was assaulting the Ruby Sanctum's barrier! By the hue of their scales, Galen discerned their true identity: Twilight Dragons.