Since times immemorial, there have always been three fundamental rules to posturing.

Among those, the most important one is being confident. That is also the hardest. Imagine knowing that you are dancing with death, in this case a dragon. You know that the smallest mistake will cost you everything. If you can actually keep your composure, ignore the danger and enjoy the thrill of the act, you might have what it takes to pull it off.

Then there is knowing when to back off, and when to push forward. If the target gives you a finger, don't grab the entire hand. Greed has no place in such a situation. As long as you get more than you will give, you would have succeeded.

Lastly, it should be mentioned that you are not actually fooling the other party. Instead, you are tricking yourself in order to play him. Only like this do you stand a chance to make it through the ordeal.

Unfortunately, there is also a fourth rule: when the target is leagues above your own, rules don't apply anymore. In that situation, play it by the ear and pray for everything to work out somehow.

For example, in this situation where I'm about to challenge a literal dragon to a battle of wits, if by any chance he were to ignore me and simply attack without looking back, I would be screwed. If at any point my bluff were to be challenged, I would have nothing to show and it would be game over.

'I really don't want to do this…'

As my steps got me ever closer to the giant fire-breathing lizard, my senses got stretched to the limit. My eyes, despite being ready to react to any slight movements, became placid like a lake, looking ahead past the battle occurring before me. Steadying my heart, I redirected my attention to the trio who, by now, were on the verge of collapse. Despite the youngest still darting around, it was obvious they wouldn't be able to make it much longer. In reality, now having a closer glimpse at the injured dwarf king with an arm missing and two large gashes passing though his rib cage from the top of the clavicle to his hipbone, I doubt he could make a recovery even if I pull of this stunt.

One hundred steps. That is when the dragon has noticed my presence. Turning his massive head in my direction while ignoring the pesky little fly who didn't even have enough power to injure him anymore, released a massive wave of dragon fear. Despite being ready for something like this, my mind still entered a state of utter chaos, every single fibber in my being coercing me to turn tail and run for my life. Fortunately, this is not my first stunt at this level.

Fifty steps. By now, the trio noticed me. The young girl, now standing by her injured father's side, was looking in my direction with eyes filled with suspicion while the Queen was concentrated on healing the king who was unconscious, or worse, from what I can tell. At the same time, the black dragon turned forty degrees to the left, now facing me with his stretched claws, like a beast ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. Despite his aggressive posture, his eyes betrayed his genuine feelings being covered in surprise, shock and more than anything suspicion.

'A human is walking towards me. I can't feel any aura from him. He is weak. But he is ignoring me. My dragon fear had no effect on him. But he is weak. Or is he?'

As long as something like that was to pass through his head, my plan might succeed.

Twenty steps away. The moment his shadow touched my feet, I stopped in my tracks and raised my head slightly. Moving my gaze by a few degrees, I had, for the first time, a proper view of his body from up close.

Giant winged lizard… This description feats him to a 'T'. In the past, I've seen quite a few dragons depicted in pictures and painting, but he is not like them. Those looked more robust, with heavy bodies and sturdy legs, while the one before me has a more athletic form.

'He might not be a pure blood. A drake maybe?'

It looks like somehow my almost non-existential chances have more than doubled.

'Roar'

I might have spoken too soon… Without warning, the giant drake stretched his neck, lowered his head and gave out a deafening roar. As the scent of fresh blood covered me once more, my body reacted almost instantly with a flush of saliva which, fortunately, is quite easy to hide and ignore.

'Great… Now I'm hungry again.' Despite drinking an outrageous amount of blood already, I still am more than thirst.

Raising my chin by a couple degrees, I stare down the drake and, with displeasure written on my face, I address him for the first time. “Can you not?”

"Why are you naked?" asked the drake in a booming feminine voice.

'Oh great, it's a "she". This will make things so much easier… Not.' It doesn't matter… At the end of the day, I was ready to adapt and overcome any situation, much less dealing with a female drake instead of a male. As long as my performance is perfect, there is nothing to fear.

"Why should I not be naked?" Redirect and distract. Once her mind is confused, hit her hard and fast. "You are also naked, so I think we are even in that regard." Obviously, a dragon would be naked. That is not even something anyone would consider mentioning. They are giant lizards. It would be far weirder seeing one wearing any type of clothes than not. Given the circumstances, a statement like the one before is weird enough that it depicts me as either someone completely dissociated to the reality or simply insane.

"I guess you're right. It seems fair." Replied the lizard with a sly smirk on her face.

'Oh no… She is a complicated one, isn’t she?.'

"So what do you want, little human?" Continued the drake while getting her head so close to me I could feel her breathing hitting my body. The foot long teeth, white like the snow, are more than capable of ending this farce with a single chomp.

Her mirror-like black scales reflect the image of a feeble young boy… I almost forgot what my body looks like. Not even by close impressive. Although it's true that vampires are ageless and can take almost any shape and form, few would choose a body like mine. Although this might seem a bad thing, in reality, it reinforces the mysterious aura that I try to project through my acts and movements.

"Want? What do you think I might want from a little drake? I was taking a stroll. Step away!" Changing the target of my gaze from her face to her body and back for a fraction of a second while showing a trace of pity, I wave my hand to the side, gesturing for her to move.

As if to mock me, the drake lazily moves her enormous body making way. Just as my steps carry me forward, a claw hits the ground right in front of me, while her head pops up on the other side of my body with teeth in full view, and obvious anger flaring in her eyes.

'Good. We're on familiar territory now.' When dealing with a tricky opponent, always make them lose their cool first. Once they are angry, the situation will be ten times more dangerous, but also far easier to handle.

Moving my head by thirty degrees to the left, I just give her a slight glance from the corner of my eye. A flash of anger later followed by a trace of pity. My body returns to its neutral position.

"Move." One word. That's enough. Without using a commanding tone, with no anger in my voice and no trace of aggression, I relay my will and wait patiently by the side.

"Why don't you make me?" With a screech, her claws get ever-so-closer to my body while leaving deep gorges on the solid rock underneath.

'Here it is. This is where I'll have to put everything on the line. This will make it or break it.' As if to encourage myself once more, I shake my head slightly and my gaze goes past her claws and beyond her grinning mouth towards the blue sky once more.

"You know…" Pause for effect. Add a bit of irritation to my voice. Wait… Wait a bit more. Continue.

"I've had a terrible day." When relating facts, if you try making things up, it increases the chance that something might not add up and the story would crumble to pieces. Instead, it's better to talk about an actual situation that has occurred while replacing characters and encounters to fit the narrative.

"Waking up surrounded by fools ready to throw their lives away…" molochs bound by Luke's blood. Although I didn't have the power to take their lives back then, they would be more than wiling to die for him, so my statement stays true.

"Slaughtering countless high ranking assassins…" only about a dozen of the best assassins under Luke's banner, who were a far cry from the true pinnacle of the continent, "only to end up trapped in the middle of an ancient killing formation in the heart of an azure glacier half a continent away" although I created said formation using a certain stolen book and my blood…

"So, what would you do in that situation?" I ask her while still looking at the horizon.

Wait… Give her time to process what I said. Not giving any mention of how long what I related took, the idea that everything occurred in a single day would pop into her mind. Furthermore, using specific words and clues like "getting trapped" and "killing formation" would point towards me surviving one of the countless danger zones hidden in the northern desolate which are know to be feared even by ancient dragons, much less a “little” black drake. In reality, even a formation that keeps you alive using environmental energy can be considering a killing formation as, if nothing were to be done about it, you would still die in the end, although it would take an eternity.

Without giving her the chance to answer, I continue my story.

"Well, anyway, I took a nap…" for about 25.000 years "only to be woken up by a little drake and a bunch of drunken dwarves." Although the dwarves had little to no involvement with my awakening, their fight with the drake created the current situation, so they are indirectly responsible.

Dropping my head, I add a bit more rage in my voice and change into a slightly more tense stance.

"Having the formation destroyed," although not by me "only to have to swim through a river of muddy water mixed with blood," it was more like walking that swimming actually "and even drinking some unique-tasting dwarf blood…" which I swear I'll never touch again "I doubted this day could have been worse."

"So…" Turning my whole body to face the drake, with obvious bloodlust in my eyes while taking a decisive step forward, my tone increased by an octave. "Do you really want to test my patience, little drake?"

'This is it…' The decisive moment. Everything comes to this. If she calls my bluff, it's over. Otherwise, I'll scrape by, albeit with difficulty.

Despite her eyes still being clouded by anger, I can barely see a trace of fear so well hidden that makes me believe it might be my desire to succeed. Then, with decisive movements, the drake moves her body to the side and makes way, this time seemingly for good.

“One more thing…” although I’ve most likely guaranteed my safety and I could leave with my life, I can’t abandon those guys here “The dwarves… Their blood is like nothing I’ve ever appreciated before,” it certainly is, although not in a good way “so I’ll take them with me.”

At the same time, I change my direction and start walking towards the trio, ignoring the snarling drake behind me.

Approaching them under the confused looks of the two conscious women, I address the one who I assume is most likely capable of taking a decision given the situation, the Queen.

“From this day onward, your blood is mine.” That’s it. Not a question, but a statement.

‘Please don’t make a scene…’ In reality I really don’t want them… A bunch of dwarves is not exactly the best company for a vampire, but, for now at the very least, I’ll try to make it seem like I’m intoxicated with their foul blood.

“You…” without even allowing them to process properly the situation, my left arm moves, pointing towards the young princess. Meanwhile, I keep hearing alarming noises from behind, which I decide to ignore with all my heart. “Gather the bunch of drunk moles over there and let’s move.” Gesturing towards the guys I left behind, I can only hope she doesn’t get offended by me naming them “moles”, which from what I remember is one of the worst insults when talking about a dwarf. “And you…” pointing towards the Queen this time, I continue giving orders. “Carry that sorry excuse of a dwarf and let’s move!” I can only hope that she can cast floating spells on someone else instead of only herself because I doubt she could carry the heavily armoured King.

Fortunately, probably excited at the prospect of living to see another dawn, the Princess zooms towards the dwarves while the Queen puts the king over her should and starts moving after me.

‘Damn… She is strong.’

“Dragon.” From behind, I can hear a thundering voice accompanied by a wave of wings flapping. “I’m a dragon, not a drake. Remember that!” She continues before flying in the opposite direction at high speed.

‘Quacking hell… I can’t believe this worked out!’