Midas was still held within the imposing dragon's claw. Despite the immense altitude at which they flew, he did not feel even a hint of cold; the dragon's body felt warm and comforting, though that did nothing to ease his concern for his fate.
His mind filled with thoughts about how problematic the situation in the Stormlands would become. Now, the Hegemon's heir had been abducted by a dragon in the very capital itself, and no one had been able to do anything.
However, knowing his father, he would not allow the details of this kidnapping to come to light; after all, it would create instability throughout the territory. Now, Midas had to think about how he would escape. Dragons were extremely intelligent creatures—even more so than humans, or at least that was what he had heard.
Deep in his heart, he hoped the majestic beast would listen to reason.
Ignoring the danger of his situation, the view of the Stormlands was still magnificent. Numerous mountains rose along the horizon, and the sun slowly set, giving way to night. Midas looked at the sun. From his mother, he had learned that there were a total of ten gods.
Each of them ruled their own world. The sun was said to be one of them. He wondered what kind of person it was; surely someone kind, since it illuminated people's days, nurtured crops, and provided warmth. Midas wished he could meet the other gods; he hoped they were all good people, like his mother.
Finally, the dragon descended onto a mountain. The ground trembled beneath its enormous weight. Midas was certain it was probably going to rest; its wounds smoked, and he could see them regenerating in real time. He found it impressive.
Midas assumed he would have to sleep out in the open; after all, this was a massive mountain, and he was certain there would be no caves large enough. However, his doubt was quickly resolved.
The dragon gathered fire in its throat, and in an instant, a powerful draconic breath burst forth with such force that the mountain's rock melted uniformly into a hollow. The heat was so intense that everything around it burned; however, the dragon protected Midas, enclosing him completely within its claw.
For a few moments, Midas felt as though he would stop breathing from how tightly he was held, but after a while, the dragon finally finished, and its grip on him loosened slightly. Before him, the mountain now had an opening large enough for the dragon to enter. It did not take long before it went inside, still carrying Midas.
The cave was certainly vast and, in a way, beautiful due to its crystallized walls. Before he realized it, the dragon's horns and spikes began to glow, and massive amounts of gold and treasures collapsed around them, flooding the cave.
Out of nowhere, the entire floor had been filled. Midas could see golden swords, jewels, crowns, even magical artifacts everywhere. It was a treasure that could only be found in his royal vault.
If this dragon wished, it could build a small country from nothing with this treasure. He wondered if he could convince it to invest in the Stormlands. That said, although such a sudden influx of wealth would cause economic imbalance, if used carefully, it could become the solution to many problems.
Finally, Midas felt the dragon pick him up, lifting him carefully to avoid letting him fall to the ground—something for which he was sincerely grateful. It would have been the final insult to be mistreated further after that journey.
The dragon formed a small improvised mound by gathering the treasures. Midas did not understand; perhaps it simply felt like decorating the place a bit.
His doubts were soon resolved. Once the small mound was formed, the dragon placed Midas on top, leaving him seated as if he were just another treasure. However, Midas realized that he was the one positioned highest atop this mountain of riches.
Had he perhaps become something like the cherry on top of a cake? Did this being not see him as a person, but rather as some kind of treasure? Indeed, when it first found him, it had mentioned something about the "treasure of humanity," which he had found quite embarrassing.
Nevertheless, Midas sat obediently. He did not want to be burned to death by the dragon. He was undoubtedly strong, capable of fighting the palace's elite knights, but this creature had just battled all the damn forces of the capital; the scale of power was quite clear: Midas was a small krill, and this dragon, a shark.
The dragon continued to observe Midas with its large red eyes. Its gaze did not waver for even a second, and it remained that way for a full ten minutes. Midas felt somewhat uncomfortable; it was strange to be watched for so long without anything happening.
So he lowered his veil and covered his face; at least that way he would not have to see the dragon staring at him. However, this did not please the dragon at all, which let out its powerful voice.
"No… annoying clothes. Take it off."
It tugged at his veil, tearing it away. Midas tried to reach for it, but it was impossible. The dragon's dexterity was astonishing, managing not to harm him with its enormous claws.
Now Midas was there again, feeling embarrassed. The dragon, meanwhile, moved through the treasure until it finally found a small golden crown.
However, it was too small for it to pick up, but Midas was surprised when, from the dragon's body, a small tentacle emerged—about the thickness of a human arm and extremely long. It was somewhat grotesque, to be honest, but this new limb picked up the crown and placed it on Midas.
It seemed his coronation had come early.
Midas was certain: the dragon did not see him as a person; it saw him as an object of value, a decoration, a rare treasure. Perhaps it was due to his appearance; after all, both his eyes and his hair resembled gold. From a dragon's perspective—creatures that loved treasure—he must have been something very special.
Time passed, prolonging this uncomfortable situation for many hours. Midas did nothing, and eventually, he felt hungry, but somehow the dragon knew, bringing him burned meat to eat.
It was truly burned. Midas desperately wished his mother would come rescue him; he wanted to return to the palace with his siblings, sleep in a comfortable bed, and eat delicious food.
But for some reason, she did not come, and that was beginning to frighten him.
Finally, the dragon extended its arm once more, gently stroking Midas's hair as if he were a dog, before lying down and curling itself around the mountain of treasure it had created.
Midas saw his opportunity. Once it fell deeply asleep, he would escape from this place.