My blood was running hot at the moment. The rush of combat combined with the taste of fresh blood in my mouth had me pumped up, but I wasn’t some dumb beast. When I whirled towards the sound, I saw a child. At least I thought she was a child.

She was much smaller than the others. Even calling her ‘she’ in my head was just a guess. There were distinctive scents I could use to tell genders apart, but the smell of blood overrode all of it. Humans were so ugly that they all looked pretty much the same to me. And since they were all so small, it was hard to be sure.

She was like the others in cloth attire, rather than the ones wearing metal. There was also no sign of her having a weapon. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I had wanted to talk to some humans. Maybe my mistake had been in trying to speak with the ones who were inclined to fight. I would not let a few bad ones turn me from my curiosity.

I tried something different this time. Rather than rising to my full height, I stayed low. The pain that was burning in my chest even now probably didn’t have any part in my decision not to move much. It would have chafed me to act submissive around a human, but curiosity was a greater motivator for me now. Besides, I reasoned that she was more likely to speak if she wasn’t afraid of me.

That triggered a thought in my head. I called forth my status sheet for the first time. It only became available to a dragon after they experienced the awakening. That was the moment that they connected with the magic born within them.

Nicosandumas

Race: Blue Dragon

Maturity: Young Adult (48% to Adult)

DKP: 2

Length: 25’8” Weight: 8,871 lbs.

Base Speed: 8 mph on land/84 mph in the air

Stats:

STR: 244

AGI: 38

DUR: 12

MIND: 12

HP: 64/120

HP Regen: 24 HP/day

MANA: 120/120

MANA Regen: 1 MP/minute

Immunities:

Electricity

Sleep

Paralysis

Resistances:

Magic: 30%

Physical Damage: 10%

Combat Proficiency:

Armor Rating: 25

ATK: 20

DMG: 2-12+8 (claws), 2-24+12 (bite), 2-8+8 (wings), 2-12+12 (tail)

Critical Strike: 15%

Racial Abilities:

Breath Weapon 1: Spark storm 100’ x 10’ (12-48 damage)

Sprint: reach a maximum land speed of 70 mph for up to 30 seconds or maximum air speed up to 192 mph for 1 minute.

Sound Imitation/Ventriloquism

Dragon Fear 1

Project Image (5% real)

Shape Change 1

Innate Magic Spells:

1st Tier: 0/6

2nd Tier: 0/5

3rd Tier: 0/3

I grinned as I was able to see my abilities for the first time. Some of them had been with me for a long time, like my ability to imitate sounds and throw my voice. I was also used to my dragon fear affecting all non-dragons around me. It was most potent within sixty feet of me, but I imagined that lesser beings often felt it when they saw my majesty. Fortunately, like my breath weapon, it was only at level one and would grow more powerful as I acquired more of the power of the world.

It was that ability which had reminded me to look at my status sheet for the first time. I wanted to stare at it. I had some new abilities to explore and others that I could now quantify for the first time. There was also the matter of spending my dragon kill points, or the power that I gained as I killed beings and gained a portion of their life force.

That was how dragons grew, after all. Many thought it was simply a matter of age and eating, but that was only half the story. Instead of levels like lesser beings, we had age ranks.

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The first few were fairly easy to get through. Then, the transition to adult took longer as it produced some of the greatest changes. It was usually as a young adult, that a dragon experienced the awakening—as I just had.

The ten age ranks, and where I stood among them, were:

Hatchling

Wyrmling

Whelp

Youthful

Young Adult

Adult

Mature Adult

Elder

Ancient

Wyrm

At each rank, we dragons became stronger—almost in an exponential sense. But one thing was certain, if ever someone happened to come across a Wyrm, they would know they were facing a monster most proficient in the art of killing.

For now, though, I pushed aside the thought of exploring my abilities. I could be patient when I needed to be. Instead, I studied the quivering human before me. Although, to be honest, she looked to be less fearful than she had been just a moment before.

Ah yes, I had turned off my dragon fear aura. It was a necessary ability for dragons to have, if we were to deal with our servants. I didn’t expect that this girl would become a long-term servant—I had too much exploring to do—but she could serve to fulfill my immediate need for knowledge.

“Greetings, human. I will not harm you, if you don’t attack me.”

As I looked at her more closely, I saw a spark of electricity dancing in her eyes. I sucked in my breath—not to attack, but in shock. Was it truly possible?

Oh, the dragon dream said such things could happen, even without intent, but none of my ancestors had ever experienced it. They mostly had lived in the desert and away from the lesser races. It was one reason I lacked knowledge about the world of Taleia beyond the great desert.

Apparently, this child had been caught up within my awakening and it had stirred the magic which runs throughout all the world to inhabit her. According to the hints in my memories, she would now have the potential to become a powerful mage. Strangely, that made me happy.

Magic was life and wonder, and I liked the idea that I had spread it. It was almost like she had become one of my hatchlings. Not that dragons are inclined to have warm feelings to any other beings—even their actual offspring.

She kept looking at me and, for a moment, I thought she wouldn’t answer. But finally, she squeaked out, “You promise?”

“Yes, I am benevolent. I only killed the turtle men because they tried to harm me.”

She giggled.

Had I said something funny? “Speak, child. What amuses you?”

“The way you called the knights, turtles. I had never thought of it like that, but it’s sorta funny. Papa always says I get the oddest thoughts in my head, though.”

Something about her words resonated with me. Maybe it was all the odd thoughts I’d been having lately. “Knights… hmm… it is good to know what they are called. I know many things, but much of the dream is unclear and my ancestors rarely strayed beyond the desert.”

She simply stared up at me like I was speaking a foreign language, so I let it go. She had already taught me an unfamiliar word. There was much for me to learn from her. “And who is this… Papa?”

“I like you,” she blurted out. “You really are beautiful, but Papa was furious when he found that you’d eaten some of his cows. Papa is what human children call their fathers—although I’m fourteen now, so I’m not really a child.” The torrent of words from her mouth paused.

For a moment I thought she was done speaking but then she threw out another question. “What do dragons call their fathers?”

I snorted, which caused her to step back. At first, I didn’t like these humans, but I did like this child. She was respectful, and recognized how beautiful I was.

“Dragons do not know their sire, only their mother, and her only until we are strong enough to hunt on our own.”

“That is sad, but Old Tamey says the world beyond Cloverdale is full of all kinds of wonders.”

“Who is this Old Tamey of whom you speak?” I asked.

“Just a woman in our village. She offers charms and such. Mama doesn’t like me spending time with her, but she knows all kinds of things. Papa won’t let her teach me magic, but I so yearn to find out more about the world.” She sighed. “I don’t want to end up married off to Paul. That old fool is always passing gas and acting like it wasn’t him.”

The girl spoke in riddles, as far as I was concerned, but then it dawned upon me. The lesser races didn’t have the same inherent connection to magic that we dragons did. Elves might have some, but nothing like us. Humans had to study magic to be able to perform even the simplest of spells. It was a rather bizarre idea and made me almost feel sorry for them.

I chalked it up to further proof of my superiority. “I can’t be sure,” I began slowly, “but I think you will find that magic is part of your life now. I see a hint of my magic in you. With some practice, you may be able to learn to control it.”

Her eyes opened wide in an expression I took to be wonder. Human faces really were difficult to read. “Are you serious? How?”

“During the battle, I experienced the awakening.” Then, seeing that she didn’t understand what I meant, I explained a bit about how the awakening works for dragons. I was enjoying speaking to someone who wasn’t my clutch mate and didn’t want to kill me, so it was lost upon me that I was actually giving her far more information than she was giving me.

“By having your magic in me, do you mean that I’m a wizard?” She was practically bouncing up and down as she asked this.

“To me you’re just a hairy little monkey. I’ve never seen this firsthand, but I believe that to be the case. Actually… I should ask your name, human. If my magic flows in you, it is only appropriate.”

She squealed. “I’m Cami. But what should I call you, great dragon?”

It could never be said that dragons are immune to flattery, and I was no different than others of my kind. I puffed up my chest a bit and shook out my wings. That, of course, caused me to shudder, as a ripple of pain spread through me. The cut on my wing and the puncture wound in my chest caused me pain, but with my awakening had come a burst of healing which helped some.

It was really the tiny slivers which were stuck in my wing that were annoying me the most.

“My name is Nicosandumas,” I said. “And I have thought of a way you can help me, child.”

She struggled to say my entire name before smiling and saying, “I think I’ll call you… Nico. It is rather an excellent name for such a dashing dragon, don’t you think?”

I liked my full name, but all the human names I had encountered so far seemed rather short, having only one or two syllables. I decided to allow it. I nodded and tested out the name a couple of times. “Nico. Hmm… I will accept this.”

She smiled. At least I think that was what it was. Her mouth was so small, it was hard to say. But at least she no longer smelled of fear, instead giving off a scent like she was happy. This one might have some mettle to her.

“What can I do for you, Nico? I really should get back home. Papa and Mama will be worried about me, but if you really gave me magic, then I do owe you.”

I held out my wing and used my tail to point to where the two sticks were embedded in the thinner parts of the membrane.

The girl immediately began to make a soft cooing noise. “Oh, you poor thing, Nico. Those are called arrows. Did someone try to hurt you?”

I explained about being driven from the only home that I had known by adventurers. There was something about this girl which made it easy to speak to her. That, and I did like the sound of my own voice.

She was appropriately appalled by what had happened to me, so I lowered my wing, and she used a tiny metal claw which she wore on her belt to cut through the arrows. She was rather gentle as she pushed the remainder of these splinters through the membrane, even checking for any splinters that might have been left behind.

After that, we spent some more time talking. She told me about where she lived. Her explanations helped me understand many things and gave words to a number of the human implements I had seen.

Her father was a farmer. I understood this to mean that he worked to raise food for other humans, who would then buy it from him. He grew something called corn and raised the cows as well as smaller animals which Cami called chickens.

This was a new concept for me, that one would intentionally create food for others. Up to this point I’d been given food by my mother or hunted it on my own. Certainly no dragon wasted their time on this… farming.

Cami and her parents lived at the edge of a human town called Cloverdale. There were apparently as many as a thousand humans who called Cloverdale home. This was a small number, compared to the vast cities I had learned of in the dragon dream, but still an overwhelming number to one such as I—accustomed to living in the desert with only my clutch mates and a few prey.

Eventually, she spoke about her dreams of attending a magic university. The way she explained it, made it sound fascinating. The idea of learning magic from books seemed implausible, but I was soaking up all the things she told me. I felt that earlier curiosity return and was anxious to find out more.

That was when her eyes lit up and she said, “Oh, Nico! I wish you were smaller. If you were, people wouldn’t be so afraid of you. I could show Papa you didn’t mean us any harm.”

I wasn’t sure that was entirely accurate—or even desirable—but I confess that I was intrigued at the idea of exploring more of these humans’ world. I had the time, after all. I would live for hundreds, if not thousands, of years if I didn’t run across a stronger dragon or some more adventurers. Getting to know more of how they had the power they did made a great deal of sense.

My lips parted and I smiled, which made Cami gasp and shudder. I suppose my smile might appear rather terrifying to a human, but I was too caught up in the idea that I’d just had.

Yes. The more I thought about it, the more I decided it just might work.