The migrating procession stretched like a winding serpent, slowly advancing along the border between the tundra and wilderness.
The sun above silently cast its light, yet seed devoid of warmth as the chill in the air grew increasingly palpable, each exhale visible as misty breath.
Garoth's dragon wings sliced through the frigid currents as he gazed down from high altitude, the land below resembling a canvas roughly torn asunder by divine hands.
The withered yellow of the wilderness clashed fiercely with the pale hues of the tundra.
The southern wilderness still retained remnants of the rainy season, with tender green shoots stubbornly erging from cracked soil, swaying gently in the breeze. Low shrubs wore new foliage, their dark green leaves glistening with dewdrops that scattered sunlight in delicate sparkles.
Yet when looking northward, the scene transford abruptly.
Signs of life vanished abruptly as if strangled by the frozen earth's pale fingers. The terrain consisted mainly of plains, occasionally broken by rolling hills and jagged highlands resembling the spines of great beasts. Further still, the horizon blurred until earth and ashen sky beca indistinguishable.
"We've reached the borderlands now," Garoth murmured, withdrawing his gaze from the distance to survey the ground below.
The monster procession had slowed its pace, not due to difficult terrain but rather to carefully scout for suitable habitats along the way.
Since crossing the Estonian Great River's northern bank, attacks from beasts and magical creatures had beco sporadic, their frequency far lower than in the Ser Wilderness. The borderlands' biological density proved sparser, indicating even greater scarcity than the harsh wilderness.
Garoth, along with the iron dragon and red dragon, circled leisurely overhead, wings beating unhurriedly as they scanned the land for potential territories.
Having decided to establish trade along the Estonian Great River, they maintained moderate distance from the main waterway while migrating upstream.
During their journey, the group had discovered several promising locations.
Garoth had once lingered near geothermal sulfur hills where subterranean veins produced enough heat to sustain heat-resistant mutant brambles and fir trees within several hundred ters, complete with steaming hot springs forming misty pillars.
Samantha had fervently advocated nesting there.
However, the pungent sulfur odors repelled most creatures, while the extre heat proved inhospitable for borderland fauna, leaving the area devoid of viable biological resources.
Reluctantly, they abandoned the site—though Garoth marked its location for future developnt. The sulfur veins themselves held modest value, but the environnt suited red dragon alchemy perfectly.
"After settling our followers, I'll build a furnace there and reconstruct my alchemy workshop," Samantha declared, still fixated on the sulfur hills as she flew alongside Garoth. After a pause, she added temptingly, "You could join here and drink freshly refined black oil."
Garoth shook his head. "Comfort dulls resolve."
Though Battle Dragons didn't require asceticism like martial monks, Garoth found the borderland's chill kept his mind sharp, whereas the sulfur hills' warmth bred lethargy. Their recent narrow victory against dragon hunters had left him wary of indulgence.
"Fine! I prefer having vast territory all to myself anyway!" Samantha snorted, her lie transparent. While red dragons typically favored solitary habitats, years of relying on Garoth had bred dependency she now resented.
"Look ahead—a fortress," the iron dragon's roar interrupted their exchange.
Following his gaze, Garoth and Samantha beheld a crumbling yet imposing structure.
Its towering walls and massive scale could comfortably house adult dragons, easily accommodating their juvenile fras with minor modifications.
"Likely ruins left by frost giants," Garoth observed. The northern borderlands had once been glacial plains before warming transford them. This fortress probably belonged to so ancient frost giant clan.
"Scout it first. If habitable, we needn't live like beasts in caves anymore."
After brief discussion, a team of gnoll and lizardfolk elites escorted a sorceress inside for reconnaissance. They reported no magical traps or threatening creatures within.
As the eager red and iron dragons prepared to descend, Garoth cautioned, "Wait. Its deterioration may render it unsuitable." His eyes traced the cracked, weathered walls.
"It's a fortress! Anything's better than caves!" Ignoring him, they plunged inside—only for the entire structure to collapse into rubble within seconds amid crashing noises.
Spitting out stone fragnts and shaking off dust, the two juvenile dragons erged disheveled from the wreckage.
"Damned rotten pillars! I barely touched one with my tail!" Samantha grumbled, shaking her head. Years of erosion had left the fortress internally decayed.
Garoth studied the intact foundation beneath debris. "This site could still beco an outpost after cleanup."
Their journey resud, scouting new territories while familiarizing themselves with the environnt.
Three days later at dusk, when the sky faded to slate blue, Garoth spotted a vast valley nestled between two towering mountains.
From above, its bottleneck entrance opened into a spacious interior. Sheer cliffs provided windbreaks, while the narrow pass—barely wide enough for five ogres abreast—promised excellent defensibility. An unfrozen lake glittered within, surrounded by cold-resistant ironneedle pines and drinking animal herds, the whole space resembling an oasis.
Garoth's eyes glead—but he restrained himself, ordering the Crimson Iron Riders to dispatch giant wolf knights for reconnaissance first.
In the Ser Wilderness, resource-rich territories always had powerful occupants or inherent dangers. The borderlands' scarcity made unclaid pri locations nearly impossible. Though the valley's vastness and high walls obscured visibility from air, absence of obvious threats didn't guarantee safety—hence scouting first.
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