Inside a cave, a large red and black colored dragon was looking at the scene unfolding before him with a mixture of surprise and amusement. He saw a group of small lizard-like creature all kneeling in front of him while two others, who at first glance looked like humans, silently tried to crawl to the door.

 Seeing that he was stuck in this rather strange situation the dragon started planning, "How should I deal with this? From the looks of it, these strange lizards were praying to my corpse and considering that the two humans are trying to escape they most likely were some sort of sacrifice. This can be quite dangerous. If these lizard-like creatures find out that I am just using this corpse and that I'm not a real dragon they might decide to throw themselves at me in some sort of holy lizard crusade to expel the vile beast that is possessing their object of worship and that would be a real pain in the ass."

 The dragon let out a sigh, now that he had thought of the worst case scenario he started thinking up a way to avoid it, "I think the best course of action would be acting like an overbearing but bored dragon. I mean that is how dragons are always depicted right? Yeah, let's do it like that because that way I can also get away with asking the human simple question by saying that I am merely asking it out of curiosity and if they get suspicious to why I don’t know things like that then I can play it off as having been cursed many years ago and that that curse has just been lifted."

 After waiting until the presumed humans reached the door he said, "My dear guests, leaving so soon?"

 At his words, all the lizard-like people in the room turned their towards the door and he had to use all of his willpower to not burst out in laughter when he saw the faces of the humans go completely white. The male human tried to respond to his question but all that came out was some incoherent babbling while the female just started shaking.

 “Who are you two?”, asked the dragon.

 The male human answered, “I….I……….i’a……..”

 Seeing how annoying it was going to be to get some real answers out of them the dragon started contemplating what he would lose and gain if he just disposed of them now. He thought to himself, "If I get rid of them now I will be sure no one knows about my existence and it will help me hold up my cover, but I will lose an somewhat important and easily accessible information source and there is always a small chance that there is a way for their friends to locate them or the place where they died. I guess that for now, it is best that I try to get some basic information out of them and then dispose of them.

 With a deep voice, the dragon declared, "Everyone besides the two who tried to run away need leave the room. Oh, and your leader also stays here."

 The lizard-like creatures immediately obeyed and quickly left the room. Seeing this, the dragon mused, "You know I can get used to this kind of authority, being an actual god must be fun."

The two humans still stood completely unmoving next to the door. "Mhhh it seems like they need a bit of motivation, let me fix that", thought the dragon happily. He then flashed a smile, revealing his giant fangs, towards the two and said, "You can come closer you know? I won't bite."

The female human let out a loud shriek and fell unconscious. Seeing this extreme reaction to just a few words the dragon thought to himself "Are all the humans in this world so weak willed, all I did was grin and say that I was not going to harm them....for now."

The dragon turned his massive head towards the only lizard-like thing still inside the room and asked, "Tell my where am I and who you are."

The still kneeling lizard-like thing immediately answered, "Your lordship you are in the Whitepeak Mountain range and I am the tribe leader of this insignificant tribe of kobolds that had made these caves their home after finding what you thought was your Lordship his corpse inside this room."

"Oh, and why did you that?", the asked dragon. "Of course it was to defend your body from filthy looters like those two over there.", he spat out.

"Little One I have been in a near death state for a long time and now nothing of the changes that happened in the time that I was asleep, so tell me, what are kobolds? They did not yet exist when I was roaming these lands", asked the dragon, now that the other kobolds are out of the room he could always easily kill this chieftain if he became too suspicious.

The leader replied with a hint of surprise in his voice. "My lordship we are a race that was formerly human but after consuming dragon blood and surviving, we obtained the blessing of the God of Destruction and transformed into what we look like now."

The male adventurer who finally regained control over his mind and body then said, "Lies, you are simple monster hell-bent on destroying all the civilized races."  Only after saying this did the adventurer seem to realize that he was trapped inside a room with what he called a monster and a dragon.

The dragon let out a hearty laugh and chuckled, "Ah it seems like we have a new member in this conversation. Tell me what do you mean with a monster? That is also a term I have never heard of."

"No need to rely on a lesser being like him your lordship, I can easily answer such a simple question for you." , shouted the kobold.

Hearing this the dragon happily thought to himself, “Seems like the excuse of having slept for a long time is working but that kobold thing is getting a bit too cocky maybe I should threaten him a bit so that he does not start asking too many questions."

"Little one, tell me did I ask you to answer me?", asked the dragon with faked anger in his voice.

The kobold somehow bowed even deeper and said, "I am sorry my lord, I overstepped my boundaries." 

The dragon let out a sigh and thought, "Seems like threatening worked. I need to keep up the act of dragon that is just toying with lesser life forms while sating his curiosity.”

After a full minute, the human nervously said, "Monsters are what we call the races that were not blessed by one of the five major gods."

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"Oh this could be important, let's see how much I can get out of him", mused the dragon to himself. He then crossed his front paws and rested his head on it before saying, "Tell who are the major gods and what race did they bless?"

The human looked a bit suspicious at the dragon for not knowing this but decided that his life was a bit more important than his curiosity and said, "Well, there is the Goddess of Light who created the angels, the God of Earth who created the dwarves, the God of Wind who created the Elves and the Goddess of Water who created the nymphs and then most importantly the goddess of Order created the humans..

"Mhhh, Seems like this human has really lacking information when it comes to the gods. I mean I met the Goddess of Chaos and God of Death personally and yet he did not mention them. Now I really want to find out more about these so called gods. Maybe I should ask Chaos? No, where is the fun in that? Let's just capture their religious leader and force the answers out of him, he should know the truth about the gods. Yeah that sounds like fun.", contemplated the dragon.

The dragon who suddenly had a plan said, "Mhhh you still seem a bit shaken, let's do this, you and your girlfriend over there can rest up while the kobolds will a prepare a feast in honor of my awakening. We will continue our conversation after that. Little One call some guards to bring our newest friend to their quarters and give them back what you took from them."

Both the human and the Kobold seemed shocked by the orders of the dragon but complied nonetheless. Right before the humans left the room the dragon cheerfully said, "I need not remind you of what is going to happen if you harm a kobold or try to escape?"

The male adventure quickly nodded and carried his unconscious companion out of the room.

The dragon turned to the kobold and ordered, "I know that you want to ask me something, so tell me.

"My lord,  I would not dare.", replied the Kobold.

"That was no question but an order," barked the dragon. Who silently thought that this overlord act was getting boring and annoying.

"Please excuse my rudeness then. My lord why are you so interested in the lies of the humans and their allies?"

The dragon let out a small laugh and lied, "Simple curiosity. I have been sleeping for who knows how long. I want to know what is going on in the world and to have a clearer image I need to ask as many people as possible."

"I understand my lord.", replied the Kobold.

The dragon asked, "Oh yes why do you call me lord?"

"Because you look like a true dragon my Lord", replied the Kobold a bit nervously.

Hearing this the dragon thought to himself, "True dragon? Does this mean that there also are false dragons? Oh, I have so many questions but can't really ask him anything without making him even more suspicious of me. I can just claim that 'civilized' races their lore and customs never really interested me but I can't get away with not even knowing what the difference between dragons is considering that I myself am a dragon."

After a small silence, the kobold said, "My Lord I have one more question, am I allowed to ask it?" The dragon just nodded and the kobold continued, "My lord what are you? You look like a dragon, but there is this strange red glow seeping through your scales, where your heart is supposed to be and your eyes shine with the same light. Also you scales have strange red marks while everyone knows all dragons have completely black scales and strangest of all is that air of wrongness that you have around yourself. Like your existence itself is unnatural."

The dragon just nodded and the kobold continued, "My lord what are you? You look like a dragon, but there is this strange red glow seeping through your scales, where your heart is supposed to be and your eyes shine with the same light. Also you scales have strange red marks while everyone knows all dragons have completely black scales and strangest of all is that air of wrongness that you have around yourself. Like your existence itself is unnatural."

Seeing that the dragon in front of him was still smiling he mustered all his courage and said, "You might look like a dragon but I have been so blessed to have once seen another true dragon and the two of you feel completely different."

The dragon lied “Simple, Little One what you see are the aftereffect of a curse one of the old servants of the God of Death put on me. The same curse that made me look like a corpse for who knows how long. Tell me, if you were doubting if I was a true dragon or not then why do you still act so obedient towards me?"

The Kobold let out a deep sigh and said, "Because dragon or not you can easily wipe my whole clan out. So why would I antagonize you?" "

"Well said, but no worries after I have complete regained the strength that the curse robbed me of I will leave this place to find someone to take revenge on. Tell me does the God of Death have an organization serving him in this day and age?", chuckled the dragon.

 "No, my lord.", replied the Kobold.

The dragon let out a sigh and lied, “Too bad, that means I have no one to take revenge on for placing this curse on me.” 

The dragon thought," I need to get away from here as soon as I can. Staying here without knowing anything is just asking for trouble especially now that humans have found this place. Because if two humans can find this place who says an army can’t?"

The dragon let out another sigh and started planning, "I guess that the best thing for me to is to wait until I have that shape shifting artifact. If I remember correctly Chaos told me that it would be done in a month. Until then I guess I should just ask all the stupid question that I have. The chieftain seems to believe my lies so I can ask him anything concerning the races if I play it well. Too bad that I can’t ask him about magic since asking something about that would instantly make him suspicious of me and I still need this place to hide myself in until Shadow brings me that artifact. Then I can easily leave this cave and travel this world a bit to learn more.”

Seeing that the chieftain was about to leave the room, the dragon raised his voice and asked, "Kobold is this the first time humans have encountered your clan or do they already know you lived here?"

The kobold simply answered, "This is the first time that someone found this cave in the whole existence of my clan."

The dragon then asked, "How close is the nearest human-friendly settlement? 

The kobold thought for a bit before saying, "Considering that we are in a cave on top of one of the bigger mountains in the area, I would guess a week at least on foot. Unless they meet someone on their way back."

The dragon started smiling for a bit and asked, "Do you have a poison that kills their target, preferably a poison that only starts working after a few hours?”

"We don't have anything like that stored but one of my clansmen can make it in a few hours.", replied the kobold.

"Perfect", said the dragon, "Order him to make it and afterward mix them in the food and drinks of the humans. Also, give me two doses of antidote for that poison."

"My lord might I ask why you don't simply kill them now?", asked the kobold.

"Simple my little friend, if I kill them here others might track this place down and I would rather not fight in this weakened state. But if we send them out while they are poisoned like this then they will die outside after succumbing to the poison. There, scavengers will surely eat their corpses and people will just think that they died from an animal attack.", replied the dragon. 

The kobold nodded with understanding before asking, “And what do you need the antidote for my lord?” 

 The dragon let out a sinister chuckle and said, “I need the antidote ready for the small chance that I can use for some of my plans.”

The kobold chief ran out of the room as quickly as he could, while thinking about ways to save his clan from this calamity in the form of a dragon. While the dragon in question was trying to solve one of the biggest problems he faced in his short existence in this world."Mhhhh, how am I supposed to get out of this room?", asked the dragon to an empty room with as only exist a human sized door.

"Mhhhh, how am I supposed to get out of this room?", asked the dragon to an empty room with as only exist a human sized door.

The dragon sighed," Size really is a liability."