The war had left an indelible mark on Maelor. Seated in his throne room with austere ornaments, the dragon king contemplated the strategic maps spread before him, his gaze lingering on newly conquered territories and those still in resistance. Military reports piled up on a polished obsidian table, each document methodically detailing the advance of his armies and the persistent pockets of resistance.

Marseille was now just a name on a map, a memory of a human city now reduced to smoking rubble. The loss of this strategic city had been a considerable setback, not so much on the military front as on troop morale and the perception of his power. Such a defeat, after years of uninterrupted victories, had given rise to whispers of doubt within his court itself.

Maelor passed a hand over his face, features chiseled by centuries of power and calculation. These last few days, sleep had eluded him, replaced by a growing obsession with completing his conquest. His advisors had noticed his increasing irritability, his decisions becoming sharper, more merciless.

- "How much longer must we tolerate this pathetic resistance?" he whispered, breaking the oppressive silence of the room.

One of his generals, standing near the door, dared not answer what seemed to be a rhetorical question. Maelor rose slowly from his seat, his imposing silhouette outlined against the dim light filtering through the stained-glass windows with dark hues. He approached the main map and placed a finger on the North American continent.

- "America," he pronounced, the word resonating like a sentence. "The last significant bastion. Our last true opposition."

His decision had been made several days ago already, but stating it aloud gave it a tangible reality. He would wait no longer. The game of strategic waiting, diplomatic maneuvers, and gradual infiltrations had gone on long enough. It was time for decisive, brutal, definitive action.

- "Summon the Borask," he ordered the general who awaited his instructions. "All of them. I want the patriarch and his best warriors here before the next moon."

The general bowed respectfully before leaving the room. Maelor returned to his seat, his thoughts already organizing into strategies and combat formations. The Borask were renowned for their deep connection with the earth and their ferocity in battle. Their loyalty to the draconic crown was unshakable, forged through centuries of alliances and services rendered.

But this time, sending them alone would not suffice. The lesson of Marseille had been painful but instructive. Delegating crucial battles carried a risk he could no longer afford. The United States represented much more than a simple territory to conquer, they symbolized the ultimate challenge to his global authority.

- "I will lead this invasion myself," he decided, his voice now filled with icy determination. "My presence on the battlefield will remind everyone why dragons are destined to rule."

In the days that followed, Maelor devoted himself entirely to preparing this decisive offensive. Reports on American defenses were analyzed in detail, topographical maps studied, estimates of human forces dissected. Each strategic element was meticulously considered, each variable evaluated. He would leave no room for chance or improvisation.

His royal guards, a draconic elite trained for centuries for the exclusive protection of the sovereign, received orders to prepare for combat. These elite warriors, rarely deployed outside the royal palace, represented the quintessence of draconic military power. Their participation in the conflict would send a clear message: this war was entering its final phase.

Thousands of kilometers away, under a night sky of ink-black sparsely dotted with cold, distant stars, Mordred stood motionless. Perched on the roof of an abandoned building with rusted metal structures and broken windows, he observed the ruined city stretching before him. The former human metropolis was now just a labyrinth of shattered concrete and twisted steel, a shadow of what it had been before the war.

The harsh wind swept his hair, bringing with it the smell of ashes and desolation that now characterized so many conquered cities. Mordred remained motionless, breathing deeply this vitiated air, his mind calculating, analyzing, planning.

The past weeks had been dedicated to absorbing minor dragons, a strategy that had proven increasingly less effective. Each new absorption brought him less power than the previous one, as if his body was reaching a threshold, a limit to what it could integrate in this way. The reality had become unavoidable: this method would never allow him to reach the level of power necessary to confront Maelor.

- "I need more," he whispered, his voice barely audible even in the night's silence. "Much more."

His mind inevitably turned to the memory of the dragon patriarch he had defeated. That absorption had been different—deeper, more substantial, transformative. The power that had flowed through his veins after that act had been intoxicating, almost transcendent. It was this kind of power he needed now.

And then, like an obvious truth that finally imposed itself on his consciousness, the image of Syleane appeared in his mind. The patriarch's granddaughter. A dragoness of remarkable power, perhaps even superior to that of her grandfather. He perfectly remembered their brief encounter, the aura of raw power that emanated from her, the lethal grace of her movements.

Mordred closed his eyes, mentally visualizing his target. Syleane was currently in China, personally supervising the stabilization of newly conquered territories. Information recovered by his network of spies was formal: she was directing this operation alone, with reduced guard, confident in her strength and hierarchical position.

An opportunity.

The decision crystallized in his mind with sudden clarity. The absorption of Syleane would not only be an immense gain in terms of raw power—it would also be a major strategic blow against the draconic hierarchy. The patriarch's granddaughter was a respected figure, a symbol of dynastic continuity. Her disappearance would create shock waves throughout the power structure of the dragons.

Mordred reopened his eyes, his gaze now illuminated with a new determination, cold and implacable. He rose slowly, his muscles taut with contained energy, ready for immediate action.

- "It is time," he simply pronounced, as if to seal his resolution.

Without waiting further, he left his observation point, moving with the silent agility that characterized his movements. His decision made, he saw no reason to delay his departure. Each passing day was one more day during which Maelor consolidated his power, one more day when human lives were shattered under draconic domination.

In the hours that followed, Mordred gathered the bare necessities for his journey. Dark, functional clothing, carefully selected weapons, minimal provisions. He would travel light, quickly, without encumbering himself with anything that could slow his progress.

Before dawn, he was already en route to the east, using shadow zones and contested territories to progress without being detected. His objective was clear, his determination unshakable. Syleane awaited him, unconscious of the fate rushing toward her.

And if his plan worked, if the absorption succeeded, he would return transformed, ready for the next step, direct confrontation with Maelor himself.

As the two adversaries set forth on their respective paths, an invisible but palpable tension seemed to settle over the entire world. As if the atmosphere itself perceived the imminence of events that would redefine the future of humanity and dragons.

In the occupied territories, dragons felt unusual nervousness, an agitation they could not explain. Humans, for their part, experienced a contradictory mixture of desperate hope and renewed terror. Something was approaching, a tipping point, a moment of truth.

Three weeks elapsed, marked by intense preparations on both sides. Maelor's draconic forces gathered methodically, with impressive military discipline and precision. Resources were mobilized, plans finalized, units strategically positioned.

The long-awaited day finally arrived, a morning when the sky was of an almost unreal clarity, as if nature itself held its breath before the coming storm.

Maelor stood atop a steep cliff, his gaze dominating an impressive draconic military encampment that extended into the valley below. Hundreds of tents in somber colors aligned with geometric precision, surrounded by temporary but solid fortifications. Banners with draconic insignias flapped in the biting wind, symbols of an ancestral power ready to descend upon new territories.

Beside him stood a massive figure, almost as imposing as his own—the patriarch Borask. Unlike Maelor's slender, aristocratic appearance, Borask embodied a more primitive, more telluric force. His broad, powerful silhouette irresistibly evoked the ancient mountains from which his lineage drew its power. His face with marked features was illuminated by a frank, enthusiastic smile, revealing a personality quite different from the calculating coldness of his king.

- "Majesty!" exclaimed Borask, his deep and powerful voice carrying far in the morning air. There was in this voice a surprising warmth, almost contagious. "What immeasurable honor to have you among us for this campaign! I personally guarantee that my warriors will prove worthy of your presence on the battlefield."

Maelor observed his interlocutor with an expression difficult to decipher. There had always been something about the Borasks that he found both disconcerting and refreshing, this almost childlike joy they manifested in the face of combat, this simplicity in their approach to war. They did not see battles as complex strategic exercises or political necessities, but rather as opportunities to prove their worth, to express their innate power, to celebrate their draconic nature in its purest form.

- "Patriarch Borask," Maelor finally replied, his measured voice contrasting with his general's exuberance. "Your family has always served the crown with exemplary loyalty and efficiency. I expect nothing less for this campaign, which perhaps represents the most crucial moment in our long war against humans."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the troops gathered below.

- "North America is the last significant piece of the puzzle. Once this continent is under our control, human resistance will be definitively broken. We can finally begin to rebuild this world according to our vision."

Borask nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with barely contained excitement. - "My warriors have been waiting for this moment for a long time, Majesty. The Borask family thirsts for combat... and glory."

Maelor sketched a thin, almost imperceptible smile. Borask's enthusiasm was precisely what he needed for this invasion, a brute, direct force, devoid of the hesitations or diplomatic subtleties that had sometimes slowed his other generals.

Together, they descended toward the camp, where the members of the Borask family had gathered in perfect formation. These dragons, all recognizable by their brown scales with earthy reflections and their imposing build, stood at attention with impressive discipline despite their usually exuberant nature. As their king approached, they straightened their posture even more, their eyes fixed straight ahead in sign of respect.

Maelor advanced to a platform specially erected for the occasion. From there, he could dominate the entire assembly of warriors. He took a few moments to observe these elite troops, appreciating their number, their visible power, their evident determination.

When he finally spoke, his voice carried with supernatural clarity throughout the entire camp:

- "Dragons of house Borask," he began, his voice progressively rising in power. "History will remember this day. Today marks the beginning of the end of human resistance."

He paused, allowing his words to permeate the audience.

- "North America is the last organized refuge of humans who still dare to defy our legitimate authority over this world. Their armies, their governments, their latest military technologies... all will be swept away by your power."

A murmur of approval ran through the ranks, quickly contained by respect for the royal presence.

- "I will not content myself with sending others to accomplish this crucial task," continued Maelor, his voice now charged with implacable determination. "I will march with you. I will fight by your side. My presence on the battlefield will be direct witness to the importance I place on this campaign."

This declaration was met with stunned silence, quickly followed by a wave of enthusiastic exclamations. The king himself, directly participating in combat—it was an unhoped-for honor, an extraordinary mark of trust toward house Borask.

- "Your rewards will be commensurate with your service," continued Maelor, slightly raising his voice to dominate the noise. "Lands, titles, powers, positions in the new administration of the continent... All this awaits you after our victory. The Borasks will be celebrated as the architects of the final stage of our world domination."

Patriarch Borask, standing next to the royal platform, could not contain his pride. His clan, his family, was about to enter draconic history as never before.

- "Your Majesty does us an immense honor," he declared in a voice vibrant with emotion. "The Borasks will not disappoint you. We will conquer or die trying."

Maelor slowly nodded in sign of approval. He advanced to the edge of the platform, dominating the assembly more than ever.

- "Prepare yourselves," he ordered. "We leave at dawn."

Then, in a gesture both solemn and theatrical, calculated for its psychological impact on the troops, Maelor transformed. His body lengthened, widened, covered itself with scales of such deep black that they seemed to absorb the surrounding light. In mere seconds, where a sovereign of almost human appearance had stood now rose a colossal dragon, whose deployed wings cast an immense shadow over the assembled warriors.

This spectacle of pure power triggered an immediate reaction. As a single being, the members of the Borask family roared their approval, a primordial cry that made the air itself vibrate. Then, following their king's example, they transformed in turn.

The patriarch was the first, his massive body becoming a dragon with brown scales streaked with dark veins evoking volcanic rock. His wings, wider than long, projected an impression of unshakable telluric power. His children, nephews, cousins followed, each bearing the distinctive characteristics of their lineage while presenting individual variations that testified to their unique personality.

In mere minutes, what had been a gathering of humanoid-shaped creatures had become an army of majestic dragons, their scales reflecting sunlight in a kaleidoscope of brown, earthy, mineral hues.

Maelor, still dominating the assembly by his size and presence, observed with satisfaction this display of power. In his draconic form, his ice-blue eyes violently contrasted with his absolute black scales, creating an impression of calculating coldness that perfectly defined his approach to power.

With a fluid movement, he rose into the air, his immense wings beating with unexpected grace for a creature of this size. The Borasks followed him, quickly forming a perfectly organized aerial formation despite their number.

The sky itself seemed to darken under this mass of scaly bodies and membranous wings. Moving shadows swept the ground below, like a sinister omen of the devastation to come.

The draconic army resolutely took the western direction, toward the ocean they would cross to reach the American shores. Their flight was determined, implacable, inexorable.

For the humans who raised their eyes toward this sky darkened by the draconic presence, the message was clear and terrifying: their last bastion of freedom was now directly in the sights of the dragon king himself.

The destiny of the world now seemed to be rushing toward an inevitable point of convergence, where Maelor and Mordred, following their distinct but inextricably linked trajectories, would shape the future of all species that populated this war-devastated planet.