As Kai continued to practice moving his human body, dark clouds gradually drew closer, blocking out the moonlight and replacing it with the occasional flicker of lightning in the distance.

While many would have been concerned with the darkness, to Kai's glowing, golden draconic eyes, it was as if it was only slightly cloudy and he paid the strange change in weather no mind.

Half an hour later, the approaching storm seemed much closer, the fridged winds picking up slightly yet, opposite of the atmosphere that was gradually turning grim, Kai released a triumphant roar as he took his first unaided steps without falling over.

Stumbling towards the dryad's crystal with a smug, triumphant grin, Kai bent over and attempted to pick it up only to lose his balance and, due to his hands being occupied, once again, faceplant the floor.

The wind blew, shifting the loose snow as the area fell into silence.

Moments before Kai was about to release his human form and destroy the offending ground and nearby trees which bore witness to his failure, his keen senses, somewhat restrained by the limitations of his new physique, caught a faint, amused snort to his left.

Leaning against a tree nearby, a silver robed man was resisting the urge to laugh.

He appeared to be in his early twenties and had silver hair a grade purer in colour than the robes he wore. His amber eyes watched Kai with amusement, almost glowing in the limited light.

Behind him, just to the side, cowered Alys, the woad that had escaped Kai earlier, her fists clenched as her body shook in fear.

Not even considering the woad, who was seemingly on the verge of a panic attack, a potential threat, Kai rolled and shakily got to his feet, making sure to keep his balance as he faced the grinning man.

Killing intent so ferocious that it felt as if one had been dropped into an ocean of blood and corpses flooded towards the man as he and Kai locked eyes.

"It seems ancestor's temper is worse than the old monster's," sighed the man as he held his palms outwards in a gesture of peace and non-aggression. "Ancestor, I mean no disrespect. I just found it ludicrous that one such as your self would struggle so much with a humanoid form."

Instead of placating Kai, the comment only enraged him further.

"One such as myself?" hissed Kai, the muscles under his skin coiling like serpents ready to strike, his killing intent increasing even though he felt that the man was somewhat familiar.

No, it wasn't the man. It was the aura he was releasing.

Even though the man could tell Kai wanted to kill him, no fear appeared on his features as he lowered his hands and sighed. "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Bai Tan, a cultivator of the Shattered Sky Sect. We have been waiting for honoured ancestor to reveal himself, keeping away those that would wish you harm. Now you have emerged, please follow me and we can return to the clan."

Kai frowned, his killing intent diminishing but not disappearing.

Bai Tan's presence, even though he felt familiarity, unsettled the young dragon and instinctively Kai understood that the man called Bai Tan was one of the most powerful beings he had encountered to date.

Someone who, at least according to his instincts, outmatch Kai.

However, that wasn't the most unsettling thing. The man's amber eyes, the pupils slightly forming into the shape of a slit, reminded him of his own, though much duller and less mysterious, when he peered into the pools in the cave.

Kai frowned, taking in a deep breath, his sense of smell muted significantly since taking his humanoid form thus requiring more effort.

What he discovered was, while the smell of the man was vastly different, it contained traces that were comparable to his own.

Kai's frown vanished as realisation struck and, just for a brief moment, his mind ground to a halt.

While the smell was mostly that of another race, what Kai assumed to be human or one of their many sub-species, there was a minuscule amount of draconic aura seeping from the man.

"Guess the cats out of the bag. Your senses are just as sharp as that old monsters. Why am I even surprised?" Seeing Kai's reaction, the man chuckled as he shook his head, slightly disappointed he couldn't continue the game.

However, the realisation that the Ban Tai contained a faint draconic bloodline only lead to more questions for Kai.

From what Kai understood, a dragon's bloodline was too powerful to mingle with mortal species, even if a dragon transformed into its humanoid form, eliminating most of the differences that would make mating impossible.

Some dragons and mortals had fallen in love in the distant past and, at least to the draconic memories he possessed, it nearly always resulted in a stillborn, if the mother was a dragon, or the death of the mother and child in the early stages of pregnancy if they were mortal.

"Impossible," hissed Kai, his weariness only increasing yet deep down, he knew that Ban Tai wasn't lying.

"Are you doubting your own senses? " shrugged the man, clearly not caring if Kai believed him or not. "I'm a draconian, the descendant of that old monster, a dragon just like you."

A mischievous glint appeared in the Ban Tai's eyes. "And if what he says is true, that old monster is also a relative of yours."

"My relatives are dead," hissed Kai, his face instantly darkening. "Slaughtered by greedy, short-sighted mortals and their pathetic so-called god masters."

"Just as arrogant as well," laughed Bai Tan, taking a step forward, shaking his head without much concern. "I am just telling you what I was told. If you decide not to believe me, that is up to you, but your instincts are not false. To deny what stands before you is a sign of ignorance, not enlightenment."

With each step Ban Tai took, small sparks of lightning seemed to gather around his body.

"Don't worry, we will offer the same terms," he continued. "You will submit to our patriarch, for your protection of course, and the bond will be inherited through the generations until the world is ready for your kind to return. When it is, you shall be released without further obligation."

"Submit?" Kai's eyes narrowed dangerously, their golden hue starting to turn red. "Released? An act that you see as goodwill and benevolence on your behalf?"

Kai snorted. "Even without the nonsense that spews from your mouth, you expect me to believe that a dragon willingly submitted."

"Well," sighed the man, knowing that there was no way to hide or mask what he was about to say. " I wouldn't say willingly. More like beaten to an inch of death and then tortured for hundreds of years before being rescued by my clan, to preserve his life, submitting to being bound."

"We honestly did him a favour. Any of your kind that did not retreat to the Fallen world was hunted down, enslaved or eventually exterminated. There were no exceptions."

Kai snarled, however, what Ban Tai had just said was much more believable to the young dragon. While dragons were notoriously stubborn, to submit to a benefactor while on the verge of death was much more likely than giving into to torture.

Having thought that, while there were no reported cases of the Dark Clan submitting, at least in the memories of his ancestors, there were a few from other clans that submitted under inhumane torture.

That didn't mean that Ban Tai's words were any less offensive to Kai's ears. In fact, he felt a growing desire to tear the man limb from limb before incinerating his remains so not even ash would remain.

"Come on; it's not that bad a deal. The only requirement is that you mingle with the clan's female draconian, all outstanding beauties, and you will be provided with everything you desire," said Ban Tai, even though it was clear by his tone that he had already given up trying to convince Kai with his words. "Even if you don't like their human appearance, many can partially transform into dragons."

Even though Ban Tai no longer believed he could convince Kai, he kept talking as he moved closer.

"We own a small, pocket dimension that is just perfect and it will keep you safe from the gods and their allies. Tho they may have fallen, most have merely gone into hiding, similar to the cowards of your kind."

Seeing Kai's enraged face, Ban Tai smiled. "Not like it matters, you will either submit willingly, or I will beat you until not even your father will recognise you."

"Oh, did I forget to mention that the old monster is your father?" With those words, Ban Tai lept forward, the glow of lightning wrapping around his fists.