Chapter 1 – The Love Birds
It had been two months since Strom first met Wraith.
Life inside the forge had grown strangely lively ever since. A blacksmith and a blue-skinned demoness living under one roof was already strange enough... adding Sam into the mix somehow made it even worse.
The three of them sat around Strom's forge while the fire crackled softly in the background.
Sam smirked as his eyes moved between them.
Sam: "You two really look like love birds."
Wraith nearly dropped her cup.
Wraith: "W-What!? N-No, there's nothing between us! A human? Eww!"
Her face turned crimson, though Strom couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or simply the reflection of the forge flames.
Strom: "Yeah, me and this blue bi... I mean girl? Hell nah."
Sam leaned back dramatically.
Sam: "Two liars sitting near fire. Beautiful."
Strom grabbed a nearby wrench and threw it at him.
Strom: "You better get your magic junk fast... or I'll throw you into the furnace myself."
Sam raised both hands while laughing.
Sam: "Alright, alright! But I don't even know where to find the stuff."
Strom sighed heavily before standing up and putting on his coat and boots.
Strom: "Fine. I'll guide you on this epic journey."
Sam instantly grinned.
Sam: "I'll follow you, tourist fella."
Before leaving, Strom turned toward Wraith. His voice became quieter, more serious.
Strom: "Stay inside. Don't let anyone see you. Understand?"
Wraith looked away slightly.
Wraith: "I know just... don't take too long."
Ever since Strom found her, she hated being left alone. Somehow, his presence had become her strange little comfort in this unfamiliar world.
The door closed behind them.
Hours passed.
The forge slowly grew quieter. The fire dimmed. Shadows stretched across the walls.
But no one came back.
Wraith paced around the room anxiously.
Wraith (muttering): "...Any moment now."
Still nothing.
Her chest tightened with worry.
Finally, she grabbed a heavy robe and slid the blue ring onto her finger. The cloak covered her body completely, protecting her skin from the sunlight's burn.
Wraith (whispering): "Now... I just need to find them."
She stepped outside.
A few moments later, the forge door creaked open again.
Sam walked in casually.
Sam: "Hey bro! I got that thing wrong. I need your help agai—"
He froze mid-sentence.
The forge was empty.
No Strom.
No Wraith.
Sam slowly narrowed his eyes.
Sam: "...I knew it. Love birds. Out on a date."
Chapter 2 – The Search
The cloak weighed heavily on her shoulders, the blue ring glinting faintly beneath her sleeve.
Wraith pulled her hood lower, hiding her skin from the sunlight as she stepped into the village.
She stopped passerby after passerby, her voice soft yet urgent.
Wraith: "Excuse me, sir... have you seen Strom? The blacksmith?"
Villager 1: "No."
Her heart sank.
She quickly turned toward another person.
Wraith: "Hello, sir... Strom the blacksmith, or his friend Sam?"
Villager 2: "Sorry, haven't seen them."
The worry in her chest tightened further.
Still, she kept searching.
Wraith: "Hi... have you seen Strom, the blacksmith?"
Villager 3: "Yeah. North side of the road."
Wraith: "...Thank you."
She immediately started toward the northern road.
Far in the distance, something shimmered against the gray sky.
Golden feathers.
Radiant even through the ash-filled air.
She took it up then a memory surfaced in her mind. Strom once told her about saving an injured golden phoenix.
Wraith (muttering): "Did he find her again...? Is he helping her with something?"
Her gaze slowly drifted upward.
A towering volcano loomed in the distance, black smoke curling endlessly into the heavens.
Wraith's expression darkened.
Wraith: "...Phoenixes build their nests near volcanoes. Damn it."
She started walking faster.
But then—
The blue ring suddenly pulsed.
A cold voice slithered into her mind.
Sifen: "What are you doing...?"
Wraith's eyes narrowed instantly.
Sifen: "Saving a human now? How pathetic."
Wraith: "Shut up."
The voice chuckled softly, hollow and cruel.
Sifen: "I am your father. The reason you possess power at all... and yet you throw yourself away for humans."
Wraith clenched her fists.
Wraith: "Just shut up..."
Sifen: "You will regret this decision. Humans fear monsters. They do not lo—"
Wraith suddenly ripped the ring off her finger and hurled it into the dirt.
Wraith (furious): "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Silence.
Her chest rose and fell heavily.
Then she turned and continued walking, one step after another, toward the volcano's shadow.
Meanwhile, back at the forge...
Sam leaned casually against the wall, grinning to himself.
Sam: "Time to destroy some romantic drama... with a heavy rain spell."
He struck a ridiculous villain pose and laughed dramatically.
Sam: "Best third wheel of all time."
Chapter 3 – The So-Called Volcano Cave
The volcano's cave mouth breathed fire.
Each gust of wind carried ash through the air, and every stone glowed faintly with veins of magma beneath the surface.
Wraith stood at the entrance, wrapped tightly in her heavy cloak.
Her hands trembled.
Not from fear...
But from the unbearable heat pouring out from inside.
Wraith (praying softly): "Please God... give me strength."
Then she stepped forward.
The cave swallowed her whole.
With every step, the light behind her faded smaller and smaller, while the crimson glow ahead grew harsher.
Wraith (calling out): "Strom?!"
Only her own voice answered back.
The silence clawed at her chest.
Minutes passed.
The deeper she went, the worse the heat became. Her boots slightly melted against the burning ground, and the stone beneath her feet had turned soft from the temperature.
Then she saw it.
A half-burnt jacket lying abandoned near the wall.
She froze instantly.
Wraith: "...It's his?"
Her hands trembled as she picked it up.
For a brief moment, her heart sank into darkness.
But she clenched the jacket tightly and forced herself to keep moving.
Now the cave itself felt alive.
Like a giant furnace trying to reject her existence.
Her breathing became shallow. Steam rose faintly from her skin as her body struggled against the overwhelming heat.
She stumbled forward and caught herself against the wall.
Her vision blurred.
Colors began melting together.
Then it started.
Voices.
Shadows.
Hallucinations born from pain and heat.
Through the molten haze, she thought she saw Strom standing ahead of her.
Wraith (weakly): "Strom... wait... I'm coming..."
She dragged herself forward desperately.
But the silhouette vanished.
Nothing remained except burning stone.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Then her body finally gave out.
She collapsed hard onto the ground.
A moment later, blue blood spilled from her mouth.
Her healing abilities were failing.
The extreme heat was destroying her blood faster than her body could restore it, turning her regeneration into nothing but useless residue.
Her breathing became ragged, bones trembled and muscles slowly lost strength.
Tears blurred her vision as she forced herself to move again.
Wraith (half-conscious): "I still owe him... twenty coins... I can't die before I pay him back..."
One painful step.
Then another.
And another.
Finally, she reached the end of the tunnel.
A dead end.
No Strom.
Only traces of blood and some Broken chains...
And sword marks carved deep into the stone walls.
Wraith's eyes widened in horror.
Wraith: "No... no, no, no...!"
Her scream echoed violently throughout the cave, bouncing against the walls until it sounded like countless voices crying alongside her despair.
Parts of her cloak had burned away completely. Her pale skin glowed red from the heat, and every breath felt weaker than the last.
But even as her body began failing...
Her spirit refused to break.
Her fingers clawed against the ground as she slowly began crawling back toward the entrance.
Her body begged her to stop.
Her mind screamed at her to rest.
But her heart...
Her heart refused.
Because she still didn't know if Strom was dead.
And as long as even a tiny piece of hope remained...
She would keep moving.
Chapter 4 – The Moonlight
Wraith dragged herself through the ash, one trembling hand after another, until the cave finally spat her back into the open world.
The morning sunlight touched her face.
Gentle for humans.
Agony for her kind.
Her breath instantly broke apart. Her vision blurred. Her body finally collapsed against the black volcanic stone.
Wraith (half-conscious): "Idiot... look what you made me do... I..."
Her voice faded into silence.
And darkness claimed her.
Hours passed.
The burning sun slowly disappeared beneath the horizon, replaced by cool evening winds that swept gently across her broken body, almost as if nature itself was checking whether she still breathed.
Then her eyes slowly opened again.
She was still weak. Still trembling.
But atleast the internal bleeding had finally stopped.
Wraith (stubbornly): "...I won't give up."
Then suddenly—
The ground shook.
A thunderous sound echoed across the valley as a colossal shadow swept over the sky.
Wraith slowly looked upward...
And froze in terror.
A phoenix made entirely of golden flames descended from the heavens.
The tiny bird Strom once carried in his hands was gone.
This creature was a living titan.
Over two hundred feet tall, with wings wider than fortress walls and feathers that flowed like molten sunlight. Every movement warped the air itself with unbearable heat.
Its presence alone made the valley feel like boiling lava.
Wraith's weakened body immediately reacted.
Blood dripped once again from her nose and lips under the creature's scorching aura.
Wraith (gasping painfully): "Please... go away..."
The phoenix stared down at her with ancient golden eyes.
Then its gaze shifted.
Toward the feather.
Wraith's trembling hand slowly reached into her cloak before tossing the glowing feather onto the ground.
The phoenix descended.
The earth cracked beneath its massive talons as it landed.
For several long seconds, it simply stared at her.
Sharp.
Ancient.
Unreadable.
Then, surprisingly gently, it lowered its head and picked up the feather in its beak.
One massive flap of its burning wings sent ash storms across the valley.
And the phoenix vanished back into the clouds.
Wraith collapsed again.
Now she could barely breathe.
Her body refused to move. She remained there for what felt like forever until her heartbeat slowly stabilized and air finally returned to her lungs.
Walking was impossible now.
So she crawled.
She crawled until her nails tore against the stone.
Crawled until she heard the faint sound of running water somewhere nearby.
Finally, she reached a small stream but her body was completely destroyed.
Without strength left to stand, she simply let herself fall face-first into the cold water like a dying fish.
The cold current embraced her like salvation.
Blue blood flowed into the stream as her wounds slowly began closing again.
Then above her—
The moon rose.
Silver light spilled across the valley.
And with it came her people's true blessing.
Moonlight strengthened her blood power, recovery accelerated instantly, enchanting all abilities.
Breathing steadied and muscles regained all their strength.
Her confidence returned alongside the silver glow of luna.
Wraith slowly opened her hand.
From the distance, her dagger suddenly shot back toward her palm and she caught it cleanly.
Wraith (coldly): "Now... let's see if you can stop me... golden chicken."
Her eyes lifted toward the volcano.
That was where the phoenix had flown.
Which meant—
That was where Strom was.
She immediately began climbing the volcano itself.
Rock tore apart beneath her fingers as she climbed higher and higher through ash, smoke, and rivers of magma.
Hours passed.
Her body stumbled countless times.
But she kept climbing.
Finally...
She reached the summit.
And there she saw it.
A massive platform made from dark obsidian and molten magma hanging above an ocean of lava.
Gigantic chains anchored the structure together, preventing the entire platform from collapsing into the fire below.
And at the center—
Strom.
Bloodied.
Bruised.
Chained so tightly his circulation had nearly stopped.
Wraith's eyes widened in horror.
Without hesitation, she stepped onto the giant chains themselves, carefully balancing above the endless lava beneath her feet.
One mistake meant death.
But she kept moving.
Step by step.
Finally, she leaped onto the platform itself and sprinted toward him.
Wraith (screaming): "Strom! I'm here to save you!"
Then—
A voice stopped her cold.
??? (booming): "And I... am here to kill you both."
The volcanic fog thickened.
A massive shadow slowly rose from within it.
Towering.
Monstrous.
Predatory.
A lava demon nearly fifteen feet tall stepped forward. Horns curved from his head like obsidian spears, while molten cracks glowed across his body. In his hand rested a gigantic blade dripping with burning magma.
Wraith immediately raised her dagger.
Wraith: "Who the hell are you?! And what do you want from him?!"
The giant took another step.
The ground trembled beneath his weight.
Volkthane: "I am the Lava King... Volkthane. Hunter of powerful creatures."
Wraith: "Release him... or you'll regret it."
Volkthane (grinned): "Then try, little one."
Wraith instantly charged forward, her dagger glowing with demonic energy.
But Volkthane's fist struck first.
The impact hit like a collapsing mountain, sending her skidding violently across the volcanic stone.
She forced herself back up and attacked again.
Volkthane swung his massive sword once.
The shockwave alone slammed her to her knees.
Strom: "Wraith, stop! Please, just go back!"
But she ignored him completely.
Again and again she charged at Volkthane.
And every single time...
He crushed her effortlessly.
He wasn't even trying to fight seriously.
He was playing with her.
His strength was simply overwhelming.
No comparison existed between them.
Wraith coughed blood onto the obsidian floor as she struggled to stand once more.
Then Volkthane's expression changed.
He loomed over Wraith like a living volcano, yet his voice no longer carried only cruelty.
There was exhaustion in it.
Sorrow.
Volkthane: "You wonder why I hunt him down. Why I burn the skies with fire."
His grip tightened around the massive sword.
Volkthane: "You think I am a monster?"
A bitter smile crossed his face.
Volkthane: "...Maybe I am. But I no longer have the luxury of choice."
He slowly lifted his blade.
Golden sparks drifted through the air around it like dying stars.
Volkthane: "The phoenix you saw... she is bound to me. Her fire became my breath. Her life became my curse."
The molten cracks across his body glowed brighter.
Volkthane: "Long ago, I swore to protect her power. To keep it away from mortal hands."
His eyes darkened.
Volkthane: "But fate mocked that promise... and turned it into chains."
Chapter 5 – The Dragon
Volkthane's burning eyes softened for the first time.
When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded heavy. Not with rage...
But with centuries of regret.
Volkthane: "Once... I was a merciless hunter."
The massive lava king slowly sat down on a giant obsidian boulder near the edge of the volcanic platform.
The molten glow around him dimmed slightly as he stared into the sea of lava below.
Volkthane: "I raided kingdoms. Slaughtered armies like animals. Burned villages into ash for gold, relics, and power."
A bitter laugh escaped him.
Volkthane: "My own men feared me more than they feared the gods themselves."
Silence followed.
Then his eyes darkened.
Volkthane: "But one day... everything changed."
---
Flashback
A village burned beneath crimson skies.
Screams echoed through the streets while Volkthane's army tore through homes, looting gold and dragging people through the flames.
Then the sky exploded into gold.
A colossal phoenix descended from the heavens.
Her wings covered the battlefield in blazing sunlight, and her cry alone shook the mountains.
Volkthane rushed toward her without hesitation.
Behind him, his soldiers continued massacring villagers and stealing everything they could carry.
The giant phoenix slammed him backward with one strike of her burning wings.
Then came the fire.
An ocean of golden flames swallowed his entire army whole in seconds.
Magma warriors melted instantly beneath her divine heat.
Armor turned to liquid.
Weapons evaporated.
In seconds, nothing remained but...
No villager died from her flames.
Only Volkthane survived.
The Lava King... Against the Golden Titan.
The battle continued alone.
Volkthane charged again, gripping his massive blade tightly.
The phoenix attacked with claws, but he dodged beneath them and kicked off a collapsing boulder, launching himself high into the air.
For the first time—
The phoenix failed to dodge.
Volkthane's blade pierced directly into her skull.
The impact shattered golden fire across the heavens.
And the great phoenix fell.
Dead.
Or at least...
She should have returned.
Phoenixes were creatures of rebirth.
Death meant little to them.
But Volkthane belonged to one of the strongest demon bloodlines of the Abyss itself.
His cursed flames could stop even impossible miracles.
Even the rebirth of a phoenix.
The giant golden corpse crashed into the ruined village.
And silence followed.
Volkthane turned away without emotion.
He looted what remained of the village while terrified survivors hid from him in fear.
No one dared challenge him anymore.
He emptied homes.
Collected gold.
Took everything.
Then, just before leaving—
He heard it.
A small cry.
Soft.
Weak.
Not human.
Volkthane slowly turned around.
At first he thought it was another grieving villager.
But the sound came from beside the dead phoenix.
And there...
He found a child.
A tiny phoenix chick sat beside the corpse, crying softly while nudging its mother with its head.
Volkthane froze.
For the first time in years...
His heartbeat stopped.
The sack of stolen gold slipped from his hand.
Volkthane (whispering): "...What have I done?"
Slowly, he stepped toward the child phoenix.
But instead of running away...
The little creature walked toward him.
Not with fear.
With hope.
As if believing he could somehow wake her mother again.
Volkthane's hands trembled.
Volkthane: "I'm sorry, little one..."
For a moment, he considered killing her too.
A quick death.
Better than leaving her alone in a ruined world.
But when he lifted his hand...
He couldn't do it.
It was the first time someone had ever walked toward him without fear.
And for the first time—
Volkthane couldn't kill.
---
Back on the Volcanic Platform
Volkthane lowered his head slightly.
Volkthane: "I thought I could raise her safely."
His molten eyes reflected the lava beneath them.
Volkthane: "But without a true phoenix beside her... she began dying slowly. Sometimes her flames weaken. Sometimes they almost disappear completely."
For the first time, genuine guilt appeared on his face.
Volkthane: "Only because of me."
His voice hardened again.
Volkthane: "So I decided... I would save her by giving her a new source of power."
Silence filled the volcanic platform.
Even Wraith stopped moving.
Then Strom finally spoke.
Strom: "If saving her is all you want... then I'll help you."
Wraith stood beside him despite the blood still staining her lips.
Wraith: "I'll help too. I misunderstood you, Volkthane."
For a brief moment...
It truly felt like peace was possible.
Then Volkthane suddenly laughed.
A deep, hollow laugh echoed throughout the volcano.
Volkthane: "Help me?"
His grin slowly twisted into something darker.
Volkthane: "Why would I settle for scraps... when I can take everything?"
The lava around him erupted violently.
Volkthane: "With the royal blood of a blue demon... I won't just save her."
His burning eyes locked onto Strom.
Volkthane: "I will give her the greatest power of all."
(A dangerous silence filled the air)
Volkthane: "Dragon Aura."
Strom's expression darkened.
Strom: "We offered you hope... and you still chose this?"
Wraith: "There has to be another way!"
Volkthane slowly shook his head.
Volkthane: "No."
His voice carried absolute certainty now.
Volkthane: "The last time I hesitated... she suffered for years."
The giant lava king rose to his feet again.
Volkthane: "I will never repeat that mistake."
(A pause...)
Volkthane: "Never again."
Then—
A deafening screech shattered the skies.
The colossal phoenix descended from the heavens once more, golden flames illuminating the entire volcano like a second sun on a cold night.
Her wings melted stone itself as she landed beside Volkthane.
And when he looked at her—
The monster disappeared for a moment.
Only a desperate father remained.
Volkthane: "Don't worry, child..."
His hand gently touched her burning feathers.
Volkthane: "I'll save you."
His eyes slowly turned toward Strom.
Volkthane: "Even if I have to burn the world itself."
He walked forward to Strom and raised his massive blade.
Volkthane: "Any last words, boy?"
Strom swallowed hard.
The pendant around his neck was his final hope.
His last card to survive.
Strom: "Yeah... Regret instantly."
Volkthane (narrowed his eyes): "Cocky... even in front of death."
Then the massive blade came crashing down—
A strike meant to erase Strom completely.
But...
But before the strike could land—
Strom's pendant exploded with blinding blue light.
The entire volcano trembled violently.
Lava erupted from the cracks below as a voice thundered across the cavern with enough force to shake the heavens themselves.
Voice: "Stay away from my son."
The wind instantly changed.
Ash storms spiraled through the air as if nature itself already recognized who had arrived.
Then—
Azure flames burst outward.
A dragon emerged from the storm of blue fire.
White and deep azure scales covered her massive body like living armor. Her limbs were built like forged steel wrapped in muscle, while jagged crystal spikes extended from her tail like blades.
Her claws gleamed sharper than swords.
Blue flames burned within her eyes.
And her wings...
Her wings carried more scars than skin.
Dravyss.
The Guardian Dragon.
She was not as large as the phoenix.
Only around one hundred feet tall.
But somehow—
Her presence felt far heavier.
Even the lava below seemed quieter around her.
Dravyss slowly looked toward Volkthane.
Dravyss: "Let them go."
Volkthane (no fear): "Or what?"
Dravyss slowly pointed one claw toward the giant phoenix beside him.
Dravyss: "The last thing you'll ever witness... will be her death."
The phoenix instantly screeched in rage.
Without hesitation, the colossal titan launched herself at Dravyss and slammed directly into her, pushing the dragon backward across the volcanic platform.
Then came a storm of claws and fire.
Relentless attacks crashed toward Dravyss one after another.
But she dodged every strike effortlessly.
One movement.
One step.
One wingbeat.
Calm and Precise.
Dravyss: "Last warning."
The phoenix ignored her completely.
She attacked again with even greater fury.
This time—
A burning claw finally tore across Dravyss's chest, leaving a glowing wound near the crystal embedded within her scales.
Dravyss flinched slightly.
Dravyss: "...Ouch."
The phoenix roared triumphantly and slammed her with both wings, sending Dravyss crashing off the platform and down toward the ocean of lava below.
Volkthane grinned.
Then suddenly—
Dravyss stopped falling.
She floated above the lava itself.
One powerful flap of her wings blasted molten fire in every direction before she shot upward and drove a crushing punch straight into the phoenix's face.
The giant bird staggered backward violently.
Dravyss slowly lifted her head.
Blue flames erupted from her body.
Dravyss: "Time's up."
Then she began to grow.
Her body expanded rapidly.
Larger.
Larger.
Until she stood equal to the phoenix herself or maybe even bigger.
For the first time—
The phoenix hesitated.
But only for a second.
The burning titan screamed and charged forward with everything she had.
Dravyss moved instantly.
One claw wrapped around the phoenix's throat.
The other dug deep into her shoulder.
Golden flames exploded violently from the wounds as the dragon's claws pierced through feathers and flesh alike.
Dravyss: "You should have accepted his help earlier."
And then—
Without even using her full strength—
She tore the phoenix apart.
Completely.
The giant body split into two burning halves as golden fire rained across the volcano.
Volkthane's scream echoed through the mountains.
Volkthane: "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Dravyss (cold): "I warned you."
Something inside Volkthane finally shattered.
With pure rage consuming him, the Lava King charged forward holding his massive blade with both hands.
He no longer cared about survival.
Only revenge.
But Dravyss was faster.
Far faster than anyone expects.
A massive claw slammed into him before he could even react.
Then—
Her jaws opened.
One bite.
And Volkthane vanished.
Nothing remained except his giant sword crashing onto the obsidian platform.
Silence followed.
Only burning ash drifted through the air.
Then Dravyss slowly turned toward Strom and Wraith.
Each heavy step made the platform tremble beneath her claws.
Her glowing eyes never lost their cold blue flames.
Wraith (quietly): "...Is it our turn to become dinner now?"
Strom (swallowed hard): "I think so."
Wraith (voice trembled): "I don't want to die like this..."
Strom: "Ladies first, Wraith!!!"
She slowly turned her head towards him in pure disbelief and terror.
Wraith: "YOU TRAITOR!"
The two of them waited for death.
But it never came.
Instead, Dravyss slowly lowered her massive head toward them.
And surprisingly—
She smiled softly.
With one gentle movement, she shattered Strom's chains and carefully lifted both of them into her claws.
Then she launched into the sky.
The force from a single flap of her wings shook the entire volcano.
The massive obsidian platform cracked apart behind her and collapsed into the sea of lava below alongside the burning remains of the phoenix.
Aftermath:-
Dravyss descended from the sky and landed on the cold plains beyond the volcano.
The moment her claws touched the ground, frost spread across the scorched earth beneath her feet, fighting back the lingering heat of the mountain behind them.
Carefully, she lowered Strom and Wraith onto the ground.
For the first time since the battle began...
Everything was quiet.
Dravyss looked down at them with glowing blue eyes.
Dravyss: "You are safe now."
Strom slowly stood up, still trying to process everything he had just witnessed.
A dragon.
A guardian.
A monster powerful enough to tear apart titans.
And somehow...
She had called him her son.
He opened his mouth, wanting to thank her properly.
But the words tangled themselves before escaping.
Strom: "Thanks, mo— ...ma'am."
For a brief second, Dravyss stared at him silently.
Then the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Dravyss: "Do not hesitate next time."
Blue flames slowly began dissolving from her body into glowing smoke.
Her massive form faded piece by piece before flowing back into Strom's pendant.
And just like that—
The terrifying pressure vanished.
The air finally felt normal again.
Wraith (shocked): "You kept... a whole dragon inside that thing?"
Strom looked down at the pendant hanging from his neck.
Strom: "...Maybe."
Wraith stared at him like she had just discovered he was secretly carrying the apocalypse in his pocket.
Wraith: "I can't believe this."
For a moment, Strom remained silent.
His fingers quietly wrapped around the pendant.
Then, under his breath, he whispered three soft words.
Strom: "Thanks... Dragon Mom."