John stayed perfectly still in the canopy.
The thick branch beneath him barely shifted under his weight. Leaves layered over one another above and around him, breaking up the shape of his body and hiding the dark sheen of his scales. From the ground, it would be almost impossible to notice him unless someone was specifically searching for a dragon in the trees.
And no one was.
Not yet.
John had chosen this spot carefully.
From here he could see most of the clearing without exposing himself to open sightlines. The angle of the leaves blocked him from the guard platform while still giving him a wide view of the settlement below.
The longer he watched, the more details appeared.
At first glance the village had looked simple — a few wooden structures placed in a forest clearing — but that impression faded quickly as his eyes adjusted.
The buildings weren't crude.
They were shaped around the forest rather than against it.
