"My lord," one of the court mbers stepped forward—a sleek female dragon whose scales held hints of blue and gold. "Perhaps we should focus on the imdiate crisis rather than past grievances."
"Past grievances?" Ao Qin’s voice rose dangerously. "Shen Yue, my realm lies in ruins, my people are dead or corrupted, and you speak of past grievances?"
"I speak of survival," Shen Yue replied, her tone carefully respectful but firm. "And of the need to work with our allies rather than driving them away with displays of temper."
"Allies?" Another court mber spoke up—an older dragon whose scales were scarred from many battles. "Where were our allies when the attack began? Where was the great cooperation between realms that we’ve heard so much about?"
"General Feng," Lin interjected, recognizing the political trap that was opening, "the attacks on all realms were coordinated. No one could have—"
"Could have what?" General Feng’s voice carried barely controlled anger. "Could have bothered to send warning? Could have offered mutual defense pacts that actually ant sothing? The North Sea’s isolation has always served its interests first."
"That’s not fair," Grim said, stepping forward despite the dangerous political waters. "We ca here as soon as we could. We’re trying to stop—"
"You’re trying to clean up a ss that your policies helped create," General Feng shot back. "If the realms had maintained proper military coordination instead of this diplomatic nonsense, Jiaolong never could have moved so freely between them."
"Enough!" Ao Qin’s roar silenced the growing argunt, but Grim could see the effort it cost him. The Dragon King slumped back into his healing pool, his breathing labored. "We have more imdiate concerns than assigning bla."
Shen Yue moved closer to the pool, her expression concerned. "My lord, you need to rest. These discussions can wait—"
"No," Ao Qin said firmly. "They cannot wait. Jiaolong has my key. With it and the others he’s collected, he can access powers that threaten all of our realms."
He turned his gaze back to Grim and Lin. "Tell what you know. What is his ultimate goal? Where is he planning to use these keys?"
"The Dragon Emperor’s tomb," Lin replied. "He’s seeking the power that was sealed away when the realms were divided."
"Madness," General Feng muttered. "Even if he could access that power, it would destroy him."
"Not if he’s being guided by soone who understands it," Grim said. "Soone who helped corrupt him in the first place."
Ao Qin’s eyes narrowed. "You speak of the one behind this corruption. Do you know who it is?"
"We have suspicions," Lin said carefully. "But nothing certain."
"Then we must assu the worst," Ao Qin decided. "If there is an ancient power guiding Jiaolong, then conventional defenses will be useless."
"What do you propose?" Shen Yue asked.
Ao Qin was quiet for a long mont, his expression showing the internal struggle between his natural aggression and the political realities of their situation. "We need to contact the other realms. Pool our remaining resources."
"After they failed to support us in our hour of need?" General Feng protested.
"Because they failed to support us," Ao Qin replied sharply. "This threat is beyond any single realm’s ability to handle. Even my pride isn’t worth the destruction of everything we’ve built."
The political factions within the chamber began to murmur among themselves, and Grim could see the complex web of relationships and loyalties that were shaping their response to the crisis. So dragons nodded in agreent with their king’s pragmatic approach, while others looked skeptical about cooperating with realms they felt had abandoned them.
"Lord Ao Qin," Grim said, "if you’re willing to coordinate with the other Dragon Kings, we can help facilitate that. But we also need to know—is there any way to track Jiaolong? Any way to predict where he’ll go next?"
Ao Qin’s expression grew thoughtful despite his pain. "The keys themselves are connected. Each one was forged from the sa source, and they resonate with each other when brought together. If he has three of them..."
"He’ll be drawn toward the fourth," Lin finished, understanding imdiately. "The West Sea."
"Ao Run’s domain," Ao Qin confird. "And if I know my brother, he’ll be prepared for the attack. The question is whether his preparations will be enough against the power Jiaolong has already accumulated."
Around them, the court continued to debate in hushed tones, the political fractures within the South Sea realm clearly visible despite the crisis they all faced. It was a reminder that even in the face of existential threats, the complexities of governance and the clash of different philosophies could not be easily set aside.
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As the court mbers dispersed to tend to their various duties, Ao Qin gestured for Grim and Lin to remain behind. The Dragon King waited until the chamber had mostly emptied before speaking, his voice lower and more strained than it had been during the public discussion.
"There’s sothing else you need to know," he said, his golden eyes fixed on the dark corruption marks that covered his hide. "Sothing I couldn’t say in front of the others."
Lin moved closer to the healing pool, her expression concerned. "What is it, Lord Ao Qin?"
"The attack on my realm wasn’t just Jiaolong and his corrupted creatures," Ao Qin continued, his voice heavy with bitter realization. "He had help from within. Dragons of my own realm fought alongside him."
Grim felt a chill despite the volcanic heat surrounding them. "Rebels?"
"Forr mbers of my court," Ao Qin confird, his claws unconsciously flexing with suppressed rage. "Dragons who had been vocal about their opposition to my policies, my diplomatic approach to inter-realm relations. When Jiaolong arrived, they saw their chance to overthrow what they considered weak leadership."
"How many?" Lin asked quietly.
"At least a dozen of my own nobles, and perhaps twice that number in their personal guards and supporters," Ao Qin replied. "They knew our defenses, our tactical responses, even the locations of our most secure vaults. Jiaolong didn’t have to break into my treasury—the rebels led him straight to it."
The implications were staggering. "If there are rebel factions in the South Sea," Grim said slowly, "what about the other realms? Could Jiaolong have similar support elsewhere?"
Ao Qin’s expression darkened further. "That’s exactly what I fear. The political tensions we’ve been discussing aren’t unique to my realm. Every Dragon King faces opposition from those who believe in more... aggressive approaches to governance. If Jiaolong has been cultivating these relationships..."
"He could have allies waiting in every realm," Lin finished, her face pale with understanding.
"Which ans," Ao Qin continued, "that warning Ao Run about the coming attack may not be enough. If there are rebels in the West Sea ready to assist Jiaolong, then even preparation may be insufficient."
He fixed them with his burning gaze. "When you reach the West Sea, trust no one completely. Question everything. The enemy may already be inside the gates, wearing the faces of trusted allies."
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