Chapter 156 Pegasus and Elves
The pine resin in the brazier crackled and popped, and when the scouts rushed into the Whitemane Clan's camp, they brought in a gust of cold wind, their hooves still covered in the hard mud of the border region.
The creature, which was over three meters tall, with a human-like upper body and a horse-like lower body, was panting heavily.
"An iron dragon! An iron dragon has appeared in the gray magnetite vein we just discovered!"
The scouts report.
It wasn't just Iron Dragon Thorog who noticed the existence of the gray magnetite; in other words, the Whitemane Clan's forces discovered it half a month ago. However, due to some internal clan issues, they never went to mine it, only sending some scouts to keep an eye on the iron ore.
Therefore, the existence of the Iron Dragon was discovered.
"Iron Dragon, how big is it?"
"It's nearly thirteen meters long, not an adult, probably a teenager or a young dragon."
"Is he still at the location of the grey magnetite mine?"
"No, he's already left, but he mined iron ore and discovered a vein, so he'll definitely come back."
After a period of communication.
The shaman of the White Mane clan slowly rose from the shadows.
The old horse, draped in a raven feather cloak, frowned deeply. His withered right hand gripped a bone staff inlaid with the teeth of a frost giant, the three bells hanging from the staff's head trembling silently.
In the eyes of a shaman.
This is a sign of impending danger.
“This iron dragon is no accident; it will bring danger to our clan.”
The old man, Ma, spoke slowly.
Beside the brazier, Iron Hoof, the commander of the assault regiment, suddenly stood up.
The centaur giant, nearly four meters tall, was covered in hard, heavy chainmail. His dark brown mane was adorned with necklaces of bones that clattered together with each movement, producing a chilling clicking sound.
As he stood up, he knocked over the brazier, and burning resin splattered onto the iron-gray hooves, but he didn't even flinch.
He picked up the spear beside him; the notch on its blade had witnessed countless battles.
"Thirty heavy arrow squads, plus my assault regiment."
He grinned and said, "Set up an ambush near the gray magnetite mine. When he comes back, we'll use his skull as a drinking bowl!"
It was just a young dragon; in their eyes, it was merely a slightly stronger ferocious beast.
The clans bordering the Icefield are generally more powerful than those in the Wilderness of Sel. The Whitemane Clan once repelled a white dragon that attempted to conquer them, and its fallen dragon scales are still displayed in their camp as a symbol of their glory.
They knew that the Iron Dragon was stronger than the White Dragon.
However, the white dragons they had driven off were much larger than the iron dragons the scouts had seen.
On the other side of the camp.
Silver Mane slowly and methodically wiped the mud off the horse's hooves.
He was the commander of the hunting party, exuding a rare scent of pine and amber, with flowing, silvery-white mane, and sparks flying with each thud of his steel horseshoes.
Why waste soldiers' lives?
He glanced at Iron Hoof and said slowly, "First, figure out Iron Dragon's movement patterns, then set traps or use poison. In short, fighting head-on is the most foolish choice."
Iron Hoof coldly stared at Silver Mane.
"The glory of centaurs lies in their spears and arrows, in their frontal charges; despicable and underhanded tactics would only bring shame upon their ancestors."
Silvermane retorted, "Don't confuse recklessness and stupidity with glory."
It has been a year since the death of the previous chieftain of the White Mane Clan, but they have yet to elect a new chieftain.
The two men, codenamed Iron Hoof and Silver Mane, are both formidable candidates, fiercely competing against each other and showing no weakness.
The main reason why the grey magnetite has not been mined is because of the dispute over its ownership.
However, there are a total of three candidates.
Elvie flapped the enormous wings that grew on the horse's back, changing from a sitting or lying position to a standing one.
This female hybrid of elf and human was more slender than the other centaurs. Her snow-white wings shimmered like pearls in the firelight, and her mane and skin were pure white, sparkling with light as she moved.
When she spread her wings, the entire tent was plunged into darkness.
It was as if all the light was focused on her.
After taking a sip of strong liquor and hanging the flask at her waist, Elvie's elfin face flushed slightly, but her gaze remained calm and bright.
"Foolish! Is killing and poison all you see?"
Elvie said, "You don't even know how many followers the Iron Dragon has, or why it came here, yet you want to hunt it down? Your recklessness will only bring harm to the clan."
Iron Hoof and Silver Mane exchanged a glance.
Immediately afterwards, they all turned their guns on Elvie in perfect unison.
Iron Hoof scoffed and said, "Bastard, your mixed bloodline makes you indecisive."
Silvermane was gentler, but he didn't hide his displeasure, saying, "It's impossible for a young dragon to have a strong retinue. Your worries are unnecessary. The blood of the elves makes you hesitant."
Throughout history, centaurs have established magnificent kingdoms.
They galloped across the wilderness and tundra, drinking heavily and enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing against their bodies.
As time passed, the centaur kingdom collapsed and fell apart, becoming just another ordinary monster clan.
But they have not forgotten their past glory and are proud of their pure bloodline.
As a pegasus, Elvie was born with wings and should have been respected and loved by her people. However, her elven bloodline and her exquisite appearance, which differed from other centaurs, led to discrimination and prejudice against her. Centaurs preferred a rugged face and physique.
Her mother was a warrior in the Whitemane clan.
Her father was an elven ranger who was passing through the border region.
The centaur longed for the world the elven ranger had visited, and the elven ranger admired the centaur's boldness and straightforwardness. The two fell in love and eventually gave birth to Elvie.
This should have been a beautiful, cross-racial story.
However, Elvie's Pegasus Wings made her stand out from the crowd, and her new life brought her mother's death.
Her elven father also left the place of sorrow after that, leaving young Elvie with the Whitemane Clan instead of taking her with him.
Although he was born surrounded by all kinds of strange looks and suffered from contempt and discrimination.
However, she broke through the encirclement with her strong talent and willpower, and is now the captain of the White Mane Clan's guard. She is also competing for the position of clan leader and is feared by Iron Hoof and Silver Mane, and is often targeted by the two of them.
She has proven her excellence.
However, Centaur's obsession with purebreds still puts her at a disadvantage in the competition.
“Your ambition for the position of clan leader has clouded your judgment.”
“You lack the necessary rationality and composure. You only think about showing off as much as possible, forgetting that the future of the clan is the most important thing.”
Elvie retaliated without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the old man's gaze kept shifting.
He was a shaman who had seen two chieftains pass away and was highly respected in the Whitemane Clan. His thoughts also concerned the position of the next chieftain.
"Shut up, all of you."
His gaze was no longer clouded at this moment. He tapped the ground with his bone staff and slowly spoke, his voice hoarse: "Danger and opportunity coexist. I sensed in my heart that the appearance of this iron dragon is of great importance to our White Mane Clan. This may be a major turning point in the development of our clan."
Shamans listen to the voices of all things year-round.
The closer a shaman is to the end of his life, the more acute his intuition will be than usual.
From the moment the centaur scouts brought news of the Iron Dragon, the old man had a strange feeling, as if he were standing on the edge of an abyss, yet also as if he were standing on a cloud.
What do you think we should do?
Elvie looked at the old man and asked.
The old horse's gaze swept over the three of them. He pondered silently for a few seconds before finally saying, "I am old now, and my mind is not clear enough. The earth and the wind belong to you young horses. Your thoughts are more important than mine."
After a pause, the old man said, "Whoever can handle the Iron Dragon incident properly will gain my support in the future."
A burst of sparks erupted from the pine resin in the brazier, reflecting the distinctly different expressions of the three commanders.
This is the first time that the old man has publicly and formally stated who he will support. Given his prestige, his support will most likely determine who will become the next clan leader.
The appearance of the Iron Dragon will be the touchstone for their competition for clan leadership.
P.S.: From now on, intelligent beings will be referred to as "he" or "she," while non-intelligent ferocious beasts or semi-intelligent beings like the Violent Bear will use this term.
(End of this chapter)
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