28th of Ar, 119 years since megados eruption
I found something interesting. A cave! Around where the throat of the volcano would have been. If I remember correctly, this forms when the magma inside drains away, leaving a vertical void. Now, here's the funny thing; I was sleeping right above it. At any point in the last year it could have collapsed and made me fall down. Obviously, that is not ideal.
Fun fact, gravity is every dragon's worst enemy, as even a fairly small fall can cause injuries. It's also the worst way to die in my opinion, as you can get too crippled to move, but not enough to die of damaged organs, resulting in death by starvation after a few years. (Thanks, I hate it)
Anyways, the cave. It's a bit rectangular, with two sides having spikes while the other two are smooth (strange). More interestingly, the floor at the bottom looks like the entrance to a fortress. As in, made of rectangular bricks, holes for windows, and a gateway. I now know that the door I found was, in fact, the gate for this fortress.
Now, I have a couple of questions. First, when was this built? Second, why is it facing upwards? Third, why was it built in this volcano? (My question is who made it?) I suspect there are some answers hiding on the other side of the fortress. The problem is that it's completely buried. In volcanic ash.
This implies it was made before this volcano last erupted, which was a long time ago. Like, before I was born kind of long time ago. Also, how did it survive inside the volcano? I mean, I guess it didn't considering the gate seems to have been blown far upwards.
Anyways, the problem with excavating the volcanic ash is that it's dangerous to breath in. You see, volcanic ash is basically very tiny pieces of glass. Get too much in your lungs and it'll cause tiny cuts. In the long term, it can cause permanent lung damage.
Good news is that it's already on the ground. As long as we don't agitate it, it won't reach our lungs! And if we use water, then it can clump up and not be kicked up during excavation. Only problem is getting the water. As far as I know, the closest source of water is the ocean.
Ok, I guess it wasn't really a problem. (You're just lazy.) I got enough water within an hour. With it the ash turned clay-like. Fun fact, apparently the Esmos hate saltwater.
Now what do I do with the ash? (Oh great it's the ore problem all over again.) Volcanic ash is a good fertilizer, so I guess I can put it near the hydra tree. I don't know if it'll help it grow, not that it needs any help. But where else am I supposed to put it?
16th of Auv, 119 years since megados eruption
So good news, I found the end of the mana spire. It was stabbed into a Kobrite corpse. Kobrites are snake sapients, but with arms (weirdos). They've been extinct for 700 years. This fortress is at least 700 years old. So I guess that's two of our questions answered. And also the mystery of the mana spire's smell; it came from the corpse.
My excavations of the fortress just complicates the other questions though. See, it clearly has a 'top', 'front', and 'back'. The problem is that the 'top' is the wall of the cave, the 'front' is towards the top of the volcano, and the 'back' is deeper in. Which means that, according to common sapient design, the fortress was made to prevent something(s) from coming in deeper into the cave.
Now, I've been calling this a fortress, but to be honest, it's more just a glorified gate with barracks inside. No other building or anything, just the gate and an empty barracks with a singular Kobrite.
So anyways, I've reached the 'back' of the fortress. There's a less fortified gate structure here, and behind it was... rock. Yeah, this was the end of the cave. Now, I'm not dumb. There's probably another cave or something behind this stone floor. If I really wanted to, I could break the floor open and explore further. But I won't for now. (She's too lazy to)
I have bigger issues. A delivery pigeon came with a message from mom. Apparently dad declared war again. The problem is that since I'm now a greater dragon, I'll be forced to participate. I mean, technically I'm not forced to, but it's about my mom. I'm not going to do nothing about this. So, I'm prepping for war.
So, dragon wars are a bit different from sapient wars. The goal is to make the enemy give up, without killing them. Almost anything is fair game. This often means causing as much annoyance as possible, whether through fights or thievery, or even pranks. Once the war is over, the dragon lord council oversees negotiation for reparations for the war. At minimum, the winner loses nothing, having everything they lost paid for by the losers. At maximum, the loser loses everything they own to the winner.
The main problem we're going to have is numerical. Dad's gang outnumbers me and mom by a lot. Sure, strength wise they're nothing to mom, but that's not the point. A common strategy is to steal while they're distracted by another fight. I guess the good news is that usually they use bastards to steal, since they're usually sneakier. In dragon war, you can still kill bastards.
Luckily, I have a few tricks in my pouch. Such as the Esmos. And this pigeon that just so happened to be here. Turns out this diary will also be quite useful.
27th of Auv, 119 years since megados eruption
Fuck. My cousins are really mad at me for some reason. As in, they declared war on me, separate from dad. Did I do something to get their attention? (Maybe killing Mike?) [That was self-defense!]
So now I have two wars to worry about. Fuck. I guess I'll have to be on the defensive, or risk losing my home. I worked hard on mining it out!
The good news is that I live in the wastes, and I personally don't rely on spells. So I have a partial advantage there. The Esmos can protect my stuff if bastards try to steal while I'm gone.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The bigger issue is I can't win if I'm outnumbered. Which is why I'm sending Eesmo on a mission. Sabotaging my cousins food. Specifically, exploiting Charlie's allergy to birds. The details will be explained later. I just hope it's enough. I can also have Hesmo sneak some blood soup into their food supply. It'll give them stomach pains for hours.
Biggest problem, how will I win? How do I make them give up?
Even bigger problem is dad's gang. They definitely both outnumber me and out-strength me. They're going to be a bigger problem. (Leave them to me. I have a plan) [What's the plan] (Just prepare for a battle of attrition. This will take a long time to work.)
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Interlude: A Relative's Opinions
Vildra was always quite problematic, even before becoming a lesser dragon. She was a known cannibal, eating her younger brother when he died of sepsis. Worst of all, her mother ignored such a transgression. Then when her mother killed a foolish David, Vildra was the one who 'disposed' of the corpse. She ate everything and even memorized the taste to share with everyone using 'share memory'.
Ever since then many dragons hated Vildra. It didn't help that she grew faster and stronger than most of us. She inherited her mother's strength and father's speed. The one thing she didn't have was charisma, not that she needed it. Loneliness had no effect on her.
One day, someone acted on their hatred. While no one else was with her, that someone attacked. No one knows what happened after. Or rather, nobody remembers that particular day in history, nor who attacked Vildra. The only evidence something happened was Vildra eating another dragon. This both fueled hatred, but also fear. No one dared to approach her after that.
Yes, Vildra was quite problematic for a long time. Yet, as they approached adulthood, everyone seemed to forget about her past. Everyone but me. I remember what she did, and it makes what she's doing now so much worse.
Right now she's hiding out in the wastes. A place where it'll be almost impossible to hurt her. She's amassing a great power, great wealth, an army of ciels! She's preparing everything she needs to take over the world, and is letting everyone else forget about her in the meantime. Then, when the time is right, she'll unleash everything, take over the world, and rewrite history to her whims. She'll use that ritual of hers to make everyone forget a time before her rule, making her the only ruler they have and will ever know.
No. I won't let her do this. I can't let her do this. I have to stop her, no matter what. I... I know! A war! No matter how strong she is, if everyone attacks her at once I'm sure we can stop her. Yes... her father was always the rash one. I'm sure he can start a conflict. No... that won't be enough. Her mother would just deal with them. There needs to be others. Who else can do it though?
Huh? When did Michael die? Last year? That's weird, he was supposed to be resting from the last fight he had. How did he die? Oh. Oh. Perfect. I need to send some messages. How should I word this...
"...If she's willing to kill her own brother, then what does that mean for us? We have to work together to stop her! Or else..."
Yeah. That sounds about right. So let's send this to... everyone. I don't care how many actually follow through, as long there's enough of us, I'm sure we can do something. No... this is just a war. A temporary solution. I need to end this now. I know! A ritual spell can stop her! But how do I get a strong enough ritual in the wastes? Oh, Vildra, you devilish fox. You've expected this.
But you see, a magic circle can work using material components. And as you told everyone; the liver of a dragon has more mana than every sapient combined.
Oh yeah, it's all coming together. The threads of your bindings are being woven. There is no es...
A dream? Strange. I can't dream. What is... Oh. What have I done. I've fallen right into your trap. Wait, no. If I dreamt this, then everyone else must have as well. Haha! This must be reverse psychology! Make us think we're doomed, so that we'd give up before we tried. Well, I'm not stupid! I won't fall for your trap!
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Pov: ????????
A dream. Similar to past. But so different. No angels, no demons. Just dragons. But as ruinous as before. Exciting. Entertaining. Excruciating. So much death, for what reason? Such devastation, will it change? Will the past repeat? I have to see.
No. They will be there as well. You will meet again. You will fight again. You will hurt again. You know how this ends. It always ends the same. And when you sleep, you will be sad again. For you will lose more friends you never made.
No. Not this time. It will be different. We have no reason to fight. We will simply watch. I will be saddened for what never was. But I will also be wisened. For I will see what is. You will not stop me, as you never have. You will tell me every regret this may give me, and I will still go. For the greatest regret possible is never knowing.
Fine. You will go. You will watch. Then what? Sleep again? Leave again? At least do something! Or else you will never change. What good would change in the world be if you never change yourself?
I am meant to stay the same. Change is their job. I am to know what stays the same. I am to know what repeats. That is what I want to do. To never change.
Coward!
...Thank you. I believe it is time I went. Will you follow?
I'm sorry. I'm just so frustrated. You finally woke up and everything's changed so much since you've last been awake and I could talk to you and I just don't know what to do if you went back to sleep without at least seeing the rest of the world that you'd never recognize nor ever seen before...
That's enough. I cannot understand your feelings, but I can try. So, will you follow?
Yes.
...That's different.
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Pov: ?????????
...I'm telling you they'll be there. That one never changes. You'll just fight again, and you'll hurt again. You know how this ends. It always ends the same. Then you'll go back and sleep with yet another emotion you didn't need. For your change changed nothing.
Yes. That may be so. But I will keep on trying. A different word here. A compliment there. I felt close last time. I'm sure this time, things will be different. I'm sure that things... will be back to what it used to be. Maybe not quite the same but... sameish.
And then what? Things change to the same, and then? Go back to sleep? Forget about what could have been? What has been? You don't even remember yourself two wars ago! You say you're still you, yet you always change. What good is recreating the past if you'll just change again? If the hard work you do now doesn't matter in a hundred years?
My job is to change. They are meant to stay the same. I'm the one who knows what changes. What didn't repeat. If I stay the same, then what of everything else. Is the whole world doomed to copy the past?
So you're paranoid? That's what's stopping you? Paranoia for what may not even be true?
Yes. Anyways, it's time. Are you coming this time?
...You're so frustrating. I wait and wait every time until you wake up and I think we can finally get to know each other better but you're always so different from the last time that its like we've never met before and you're just being nice because I'm someone you used to know but you've never known me. I change, as much as you, yet we always have the same argument. No matter how much change happens, we always stay the same and I HATE IT.
...I'm sorry. I never knew. Will you let me get to know you?
Yes.
...The same change as always.