"That brat! He's truly gone mad for a mate!" Hall chuckled, not the least bit ashamed of lying to his own son. What kind of father...
"Uncle Hall, what were you two whispering about?" Sophie eyed him suspiciously. Were they plotting something behind her back?
"Oh, since you're Bradlee's sister now, you can't be his bride. So I told him the phoenix clan has plenty of beauties—that's why he's so excited!" Hall waved it off casually.
"Sister? I'm Bradlee's sister?" Sophie's jaw dropped.
"Of course! Your dad and I hatched from the same egg. He married earlier—Bradlee's only a thousand years old. So, you're the elder sister!" Hall nodded emphatically, as if this logic were irrefutable.
"Oh! Hehe, that's wonderful!" *Uncle Hall is family, Bradlee's my little brother—with two dragon relatives, I can practically strut sideways across the world!* Visions of future dominance made Sophie's mouth water.
"Sophie, what are you grinning about?" Hall nudged her. *Did she guess I'm planning to matchmake her with a dragon? Is that why she's so thrilled?*
"Ah, nothing, nothing! Hehe." Wiping her drool discreetly, Sophie changed the subject. "Uncle, when can I leave? My husband must be frantic! And my children—they'll be so worried!"
*Thud!* The dashing Hall faceplanted into the dirt. "*What?!* You have *kids*?!" Scrambling up, he roared, dust flying.
"Yep! A boy and a girl. Adorable! I'll bring them to visit—you'll love them!" Sophie beamed, ignoring his outrage.
"*Outrageous!* When I meet that scoundrel, I'll *pummel* him! Knocking you up before marriage?!" Hall gnashed his teeth. *Now what? The dragon bachelors stand no chance!* Despairing, he clung to one hope: *Maybe she'll fall for a dragon at first sight...*
---
Spotting the still-snoozing Azure Dragon, Bradlee's eyes gleamed. He crept to its ear and bellowed, "*Stanfer! Earthquake!*"
"*Ack—* Oh no! Bradlee's back!" The dragon jolted awake—not from quakes, but...
"B-B-Boss..." Stanfer stammered at Bradlee's wicked grin.
"Boss! You're back! I *missed* you! Nightmares plagued me—I feared you'd *never* return!" Terror somehow steadied his voice. The lies flowed smoother than dragonfire.
"*Really?*" Bradlee eyed him skeptically. "Then why did I hear someone say my return was *bad news*?"
"Uh... Boss, your ears must deceive you! I heard nothing!" Stanfer rubbed his head innocently—then yelped. "Ow! Did you *sneak-hit* me?"
"Sneak-hit? Since when do I need *stealth* to pummel you?" Bradlee cracked his knuckles. Soon, Stanfer resembled a swollen meat bun.
"Boss, where are we going?" Stanfer mumbled through misshapen lips.
"Gathering the clan! Tonight's the grand matchmaking at Dragon Valley!" Bradlee sulked. *My hard-stolen bride, handed to others...* Still, venting on Stanfer had lifted his mood.
"Matchmaking? Can *I* join?" Stanfer's eyes turned heart-shaped.
"*Yes.*" *Even this idiot gets to go—while I'm excluded!*
"*Yes!*" Stanfer bounced—then froze. "Boss! If there's matchmaking, why batter me *now*? How can I impress anyone like this?!" He gestured at his bloated form.
"What? I need an *auspicious date* to thrash you?" Bradlee cracked his knuckles again.
"N-no! Of course not!" Stanfer mentally slapped himself.
"Boss! Look—Elder Gustav's cave! Let's hurry!" He dove inside before Bradlee could react.
"Cheeky brat!" Bradlee grumbled, following.
---
After an arduous climb, Silei peered into the valley below. *Sophie must be here... but how many dragons await? Will I survive?*
"Sophie, wait for me," he whispered, steeling himself.
---
As dusk fell, torches blazed across Dragon Valley's grand square—not for light (dragons saw perfectly in darkness), but for *ambience*. Per Hall's orders, every dragon had taken human form.
The bachelor dragons eyed Sophie hungrily. A dragon-phoenix hybrid? *And* descended from deities? This was the chance of a millennium!
"Brother, what's happening?" Silei, finally reaching the valley, gaped at the bustling crowd. *A village? But Sophie's presence lingers here... Did she escape her captor?*
"Oh, waiting for matchmaking!" Stanfer answered absently, too busy admiring his freshly healed face (courtesy of a stealthily cast spell) to note the stranger. *Wait—was that guy unfamiliar?*
Turning back, he found no one. *Hallucinating?* Shrugging, he refocused on the girl in the square.
---
Slipping through the crowd, Silei froze. There was Sophie—laughing with a handsome, long-haired man. *She must have her reasons,* he told himself, though jealousy prickled.
---
"Attention!" Hall boomed. "Meet my niece—*Sophie*! Daughter of Dragon God Saxon and Phoenix Goddess Aina!"
Taking Sophie's hand, he surveyed the eager bachelors. *Each more dashing than the last!*
"Sophie, choose your dance partner tonight! *You* decide their fate!" *She can't refuse this.*
"Uh..." Sophie sweatdropped at the sea of starry-eyed suitors. *This is like speed-dating... with nonhumans!*
"Perhaps too many choices?" Hall mused. *When did we breed so many unwed youths?*
"Unattached males, line up! If chosen, stay. If not, try harder!"
"Uncle Hall!" Sophie tugged his sleeve, blushing.
"Don't be shy! It's just a dance!" Hall beamed. *Success is near!*
---
One by one, the dragons introduced themselves:
- **Bazia the Purple Dragon**: "Greetings, Lady Sophie!" *(Sophie nods politely, eyes elsewhere.)*
- **Raphael the Silver Poet**: "You shine like the stars! My heart drowns in your—" *(Gagging sounds from the crowd.)*
- **Leonel the Charming**: *kisses her hand* "An honor to meet you!" *(Sophie curtsies gracefully, relieved she remembered etiquette lessons.)*
Stanfer prayed fervently as his turn approached: "*Don't pick them! Don't pick them!*"
Finally—
"Sophie! I'm Stanfer! Bradlee's best buddy! I'm *super* nice—just nap a lot! Best temper in the clan! I'll treat you like—"
"*Next!*" Hall cut in, noting Sophie's frown.
---
As hope dwindled for the remaining bachelors, Hall grew anxious. Then—
"Fair lady, may I have this dance?"
A plain-faced youth stepped forward.
"*Yes!*"
Tears welling, Sophie *lunged* into his arms.
Hall's heart soared. "*HAHAHA! SUCCESS!*"
**Who is this mysterious dancer—and why does Sophie cling to him like a lifeline?**