Not even trying to pretend that wasn't Caspian's way of doing things; he would not temper that spirit, so to speak.
He spat with barely contained disgust.
"Vorgath, what do you want?"
"My oh my, don't show so much hostility, we spent so much time together as children! So many great memories..." He said, with an over-the-top sigh, as he tried to elicit a reaction; failing, he tried a different approach.
"Look at you, so healthy, looking so strong, I bet you could give our soldiers a lesson or two, show them the might of the royal blood, even if yours is a little on the weak side! What do you think? Want to come with me to the training area?"
His eyes showed his ulterior motive, but to Caspian, this was actually a blessing.
He thinks he will embarrass me in front of the troops, rumours will spread, and I won't have a chance to gain a foothold within the household.
Alright, let's use your overconfidence against you, cousin.
"Sure! I don't mind getting some training in after so long in bed."
I said with unconcealed confidence, acting like a true dragon, blinded by arrogance.
'Thats it, take the bait and let me set you up...'
Vorgath thought, already picturing the half-breeds' inevitable downfall.
________
They soon arrived at the training area, where various types of weapons lined the freestanding racks. In the large outdoor space, dragons trained fiercely with one another.
Some dragons had scales covering their humanoid forms, while others possessed tails and wings.
There were even some that looked more like dragons than humans, even in their humanoid forms.
The cause of this variety was evolution. Many of the soldiers here were decades, if not centuries, in age. They had evolved at least once, and some multiple times, altering their physical forms.
While the difference in class was even more obvious, as the noble dragons trained in their own area, a space appeared between the two groups, as if an invisible line divided social class.
It was a sight to see; it didn't matter what world one ended up in: where there is society and civilisation, there will be people who divide each other into social classes.
But here, it was not just economics that divided them; it was the physical power they granted through access to more skill books, and their bloodlines being more potent, leading to powerful evolution paths.
But commoner dragons were nothing to scoff at; they were still a higher race that could slaughter a lower race like humans en masse. With their powerful draconic physiques and true dragon forms, among other things.
As soon as we arrived, all the troops bowed.
Vorgath seemed to enjoy the moment as he said loud enough for all to hear.
"This is Prince Caspian! He is here after recently recovering to do some training, let's see what he's got!"
He said it in a fake, supportive way, which made Caspian want to puke.
A couple of commoner dragons came forward, willing to spar.
Nodding towards them, Caspian went into the centre of the space, and everyone else seemed to form a circle; they wanted to watch.
Some out of curiosity and others out of the hope he would fail.
As Caspian walked over to the weapon rack on the side, he brushed his hand over various weapons, appearing overwhelmed by the choices on offer for him, before finally stopping on one.
A sword.
Vorgath shouted from the crowd, "Dear cousin! You sure you know how to use that?"
His fake concern garnered some laughter from his supporters, among others.
Ignoring his jibe, Caspian stood in front of the two dragons and said.
"Both of you can come at the same time."
His confidence was admired by many, but many were still sceptical that he was biting off more than he could chew.
Vorgath shouted, "Your pride as a royal... well... half-royal dragon is admirable, but think this through carefully!"
His every word carried poison as he tried as hard as he could to throw Caspian off with words and devalue him in front of the soldiers.
"If you don't move, I will."
His words and adamant behaviour made the two Level 1 Evolved dragons' pride flare like never before.
Even if they were commoners, they were still great warriors who had seen many a battle over their long lives; how could they let this blatant disrespect go unanswered by a boy who had just woken up from a coma?
I hope this mastery of weapons really works, system. Otherwise...
[Don't worry, host, as soon as you use a weapon, it will feel like you have trained in it for centuries.]
Suddenly!
The two dragons moved in unison.
One of them launched itself like a bullet from the right, wings outstretched and weapon ready to strike down Caspian.
The other dragon, its scales glistening in the sunlight and eyes filled with a desire to destroy Caspian for his earlier disrespect, followed its companion, veering to the left.
Valerion would be lying if he said he wasn't apprehensive or nervous.
This was his first battle in this world, and even though it was just a spar, a lot was at stake for his plans. He couldn't afford to mess this up.
However, those feelings soon faded as his sword made contact with the spear of one of the dragons, deflecting it away.
It was as if his draconic side had taken over, igniting his thirst for victory and dominance. This allowed him to calm his worries and even enjoy his first experience of pure power.
With his mastery of weapons, his powerful bloodlines, and the enhancements to his physique, Valerion was doing just that—enjoying the battle and asserting his dominance.