A heavy fog clouded my mind as I slowly regained consciousness. As I stirred, the world around me was dimly lit, the soft glow of lanterns casting shadows on the wooden walls. The air was filled with the faint scent of herbs and the gentle hum of distant voices. I tried to move, but a sharp pain shot through my side, causing me to gasp.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings. I was lying on a large bed, the soft mattress cradling my sore body.

Wait a second, I’m lying on a bed? An actual bed that fits my size?

I curiously scanned my surroundings. Everything around me was abnormally large, from the towering wardrobe to the massive door on the far side of the room. Up until now, I hadn't been able to fit into any of the buildings I came across, but this room seemed designed for a creature of my size.

I struggled to sit up, feeling the ache in my muscles and the sting of my wound. As I looked down at my side, memories of the recent events flooded back. Traveling with Sodel, the brutal fight with the mokmire assailants, and the poisoned wound that caused me so much discomfort. But something was different now. The pulsating pain from the poison was gone.

I craned my neck to get a better look at the wound. It had been expertly treated, bandaged with precision. Whoever had taken care of me knew what they were doing. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the poison was no longer a threat.

Feeling more alert, I glanced around the room. The furniture, oversized and well-crafted, was unlike anything I had seen before. It was clear that whoever lived here, or perhaps still lived here, was of a size comparable to mine. This realization brought a sense of unease and curiosity. Who or what had built this place?

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my claws clicking softly against the wooden floor. The slight pain from my wound reminded me to take it slow. As I stood, the room seemed to spin for a moment before my vision steadied. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus on my surroundings.

I took a better look at the room I was in and slowly noticed bandages, towels, and all sorts of tools which looked to be for medical purposes. It hit me then.

Am I in a hospital room?

Just as this realization settled in, I heard footsteps approaching. The oversized door to my room was slowly pushed open, and entering the room, I saw what looked to be a nurse or doctor, dressed in white garments. What piqued my curiosity the most were her physical features. The small girl who stepped in had the same skin color and glowing eyes as Ryone, albeit with a slightly different range of purples.

I watched, amused, as the girl struggled to push the oversized door open with all her might. Despite her size, she managed to push it open, which looked to be quite a feat for her. As she entered the room, she walked over to a set of bandages, seemingly not noticing that I was now awake and staring at her.

She gathered some supplies and turned around, intending to walk toward me. That’s when she finally noticed me. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the dragon looking straight at her with a curious glance. Startled, she dropped the bandages and tools she was carrying.

I tried to think of a way to reassure her, but before I could do anything, she rushed out of the room. As startled as she looked, I thought she would bolt out to call for help, but she suddenly stopped outside the door, seemingly remembering something.

Turning back, she grabbed the edge of the door and struggled once again to pull it closed behind her, using both hands and leaning back with all her weight. The sight of her tiny frame wrestling with the enormous door brought a smile to my face despite the situation.

With the room now quiet once more, I took a moment to process everything. It seemed I was in a safe place, at least for the time being. The nurse, despite her initial reaction, didn’t seem hostile. If anything, her appearance and actions had given me a moment of light-hearted distraction amidst all the chaos and uncertainty.

I carefully lay back down on the bed, my mind racing with questions. Where exactly was I? How long had I been here? And most importantly, where were Sodel and Ryone?

System, how long have I been out for?

Answer. User has been asleep for a total of 19 hours and 4 minutes.

What? Was I out for so long?

Clarification. User’s sleep has been prolonged by the use of anesthetic substances.

They drugged me to keep me asleep? System, was I administered any other substance?

Answer. User was not administered anything other than the anesthetic and a small dose of Netherbloom antidote.

Right, so nothing bad thankfully.

As I mulled over these thoughts, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. The door creaked open once again, and this time, a different figure stepped into the room.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The same dwarf who had led the group that captured me walked in, followed closely by the nurse. I visually recoiled at the sight of him, the memory of my capture still fresh in my mind. He seemed to ignore my reaction, his focus on the nurse as he asked about my wounds.

"How is the patient?" the dwarf inquired, his voice gruff but calm.

The nurse, regaining her composure, stepped forward. "The wounds are not completely healed, but the poison has been neutralized, sir."

The dwarf nodded, his eyes shifting to me. He studied me for a long second, his expression unreadable. Finally, he turned back to the nurse. "Leave us alone."

The nurse hesitated, casting a worried glance in my direction before she nodded and left the room, closing the oversized door behind her with some effort. The dwarf and I were now alone in the room, the silence thick with tension.

"You seem to be recovering well," he remarked, his tone measured.

I tilted my head slightly, unsure of his intentions but wary of his presence.

“I know you can understand me, dragon.” He continued, seemingly expecting me to reply, yet all I could do was look at him with a shocked expression.

How does he know about me?

This dwarf had known straight away what I truly was, yet no one before him seemed to have noticed. The questions piled up in my mind, the uncertainty gnawing at me.

Sensing my unease, The dwarf sighed and took a step back, his stern expression softening slightly. "You can relax, If I thought you were a threat, you'd be locked up in a dungeon, not lying unrestrained in a hospital room," he said, his tone reassuring. "You should thank your little friend for clearing up the air about your circumstances."

My little friend? Ryone! She is alright then… that’s a relief.

The dwarf settled down on a normal sized chair that was close to the cabinets on the other side of the room.

“On that note, I will apologize for the rough treatment you received when you were apprehended, yet you must understand the situation left me with few options.”

Being knocked out by sheer force of gravity was not fun, but I understood that finding me locked in a fight and Sodel mortally wounded was not a great look.

I’ll let it slide this time, dwarf.

I thought as I nodded my head towards him.

“Right, with that out of the way, I suppose we should get to introductions. My name is Morag Dhurek, admiral of Gearford’s Azure Fleet.”

Admiral? Azure Fleet? I guess this guy is a big shot around here…

He looked at me, seemingly expecting an answer, yet I still didn’t possess a means to communicate, so I let out a low growl as I nodded my head respectfully.

He kept staring at me for a few seconds, before finally he continued.

“You do not possess a class that lets you communicate, do you?”

I shook my head in denial.

Thanks for catching on quickly, dear admiral.

He sighed as he stood up and started walking towards me.

What’s this now, no funny moves dwarf!

I thought as I readied my stance once again. The dwarf stopped in his tracks as he noticed my unease. Then he held out his hand with his palm facing upwards. After a fraction of a second an object materialized on top of it.

An ornate golden bracelet shimmered into existence, its intricate designs catching the light. I eyed it warily, unsure of the dwarf's intentions.

"This," the dwarf said, "is an enchanted tool that will allow you to communicate." His tone was calm, but I remained suspicious. He seemed to sense my hesitation and continued, "If we wanted to hurt you, we would have done so already. This is for your benefit as much as ours."

I mulled over his words, acknowledging the logic behind them. If they had wanted to harm or bind me, they already had ample opportunity. Reluctantly, I nodded to the dwarf.

"Good," he said. "Lift your front arm forward."

I hesitated for a moment before extending my foreleg. As I did, I couldn't help but notice the bracelet's small size. There was no way it would fit around my scaly dragon arm. The dwarf, however, didn't seem concerned. He lifted the bracelet, which began to glow with a golden light. Magically, it expanded, adjusting in size until it could comfortably encircle my foreleg. Once in place, the bracelet shimmered again and perfectly adjusted itself to my size.

"There," Morag said, stepping back. "Try to speak."

I skeptically focused on the bracelet, unsure of how it worked.

“There is no way this fancy bracelet will just allow me to speak,” I thought.

To my astonishment, I heard my voice coming out of the bracelet itself, perfectly repeating my thoughts. I blinked in surprise, looking down at the bracelet.

Morag smiled at me, clearly pleased with my reaction. "And yet it just did. You can use it to communicate as easily as if you had your own voice."

I marveled at the bracelet, the intricacy of its design, and the magic that powered it.

“This is incredible, if only I had this sooner, it would have saved me quite a few headaches! Wait, I didn’t want it to repeat this! How do I make it stop?”

Morag let out a chuckle as he settled back onto the chair. “The enchantment connects the bracelet directly to your mind. Feel the connection and you’ll know how to filter what you wish for it to repeat.”

I nodded, settling back onto the bed and closing my eyes. I concentrated on the bracelet just like I would when feeling the strands of life using my Phytomancer abilities. Sure enough, I felt the magic that connected me to the bracelet. It thrummed gently, a steady current of energy linking my thoughts to the device.

Focusing on the magical strand, I experimented with the connection. I quickly realized that I could manipulate it almost like a switch, controlling what thoughts the bracelet would broadcast.

"This is how I communicate my thoughts," I thought deliberately, and the bracelet repeated the words as intended.

"This is how I keep my thoughts private," I thought, focusing on keeping the connection closed, and the bracelet remained silent.

I opened my eyes, nodding pleased with my newfound control.

"Well done," Morag said, nodding in approval. "You’re a quick learner. This will make things much easier moving forward."

I inclined my head slightly in acknowledgment. The dwarf smiled and continued.

“Now, let us begin anew, what is your name?”