“I did it! Another peak was conquered. Hurray… As they say, one small step for man — one giant leap for mankind. Or, as *I* like to say — one small step for me — one giant leap for my greatness. Hehe… yep, still working on it.”

That’s what I thought when I finally climbed up the damned mountain. I was exhausted from the climb — the mud staining my boots was not helping — but whilst at the top, I had the chance to meditate in the sunshine, enjoy the complete and total freedom, and — most important thing of all — think about my slogan. Besides, the weather was absolutely lovely, so it would be a grave mistake not to enjoy it 

…But unfortunately, whatever came to mind turned out to be so over the top: it was too exaggerated, too fake, too… much. Even though everyone I know would probably like some of them, they just didn’t fit.

After resting, I picked up my fully charged rifle that finished charging with solar energy , then I checked the map.

I was shocked to find that I’m already close to the border separating dragonkin and humans.

It was considered an unspoken rule in Aetheria that the two races should never come into contact with each other and should be strictly confined to their separate territories.

Bleugh.

Who on earth came up with that?

Seriously, How deep in the sand can your head be? The key to progress is to keep moving forward into the unknown, isn’t it? You have to try things again even if it didn’t work out the first time, right?

It is said that long ago the two races disagreed, and so instead of talking like adults do  they decided to separate from each other.

“Gosh, that is sooooo backwards ”,  I muttered.

Luckily rules were made to be broken. Which, of course, is what I’m about to do right now! Nowadays, the dragonkin race has become somewhat of a myth : ordinary people don’t believe in their existence or just shun them at the border, while the nobles were so bogged down in bureaucracy that they didn’t care about rumors.

…But, not me! I’m just here to finally find out what’s what, and whether or not they actually exist. And if they do exist… I think they won’t mind if I say, take a few pictures with them (with their consent, of course).

After sufficiently rested, I rose to my feet and was ready to hit the road….

…but I suddenly heard a rumbling in my stomach.

“Uh-oh.”

I might have been  so caught up in my higher purpose that I completely forgot about my basic needs.

Deciding to stay on the hill a little longer to get something to eat, I opened my hiking bag…

But I couldn’t find anything to eat. I even went through it all and checked the other smaller bag, but there was nothing there either.

It’s only now that I discovered how wasteful I’ve been these past few days.

“Not good… I Need to do something about it right now!”

…

For centuries, humans have depended on science and technology to survive and achieve greatness. So I brought along a lot of modern gadgets to make my journey easier.

For example, an energy rifle that fired electrical charges. It also had several firing modes: normal charges, paralyzing charges, fire charges, and even explosive charges which are able to fry the prey on the spot to avoid cooking it later. And, well, its reliance on solar energy to shoot is super handy. 

And that wasn’t the only gadget I brought with me… but as versatile as they were, unfortunately, none of them could create food out of thin air.

…Though I had already traveled quite a distance , I had not encountered a single animal or edible fruit.

The vegetation had changed quite a bit, and at any other time I would have loved to stay here to meditate, but unfortunately, there were other pressing matters right now. So much so that I began to feel panic coming over me.

“Damn, I’d better hurry… before my journey ends prematurely.”

…

I hastened my step and soon noticed a light glimmer among the trees. A light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. As I got closer, I saw what looked like a farmhouse and breathed a sigh of relief: I was saved.

When I finally got out of the forest, I realized that it could hardly be called a farm, but it was not a shabby structure; contrasting with its exterior appearance, the wooden house was surprisingly spacious and grand. Its modest architecture only added to its charm and character, though the sturdy construction spoke of its high quality. The thick oaken beams and intricate carvings gave it a regal feel while still maintaining a rustic charm. It stood proudly amidst the surrounding landscape, a testament to its enduring strength and endurance.

I noticed that, while there was no livestock to be seen, there was a large field of wheat, several vegetable gardens, and beds of…

“Um, actually what is that…?”

I’ve noticed that the vegetables growing there don’t fit any species I know of. How strange.

…But what was even stranger was that no one was guarding all this stuff. Isn’t it just too easy prey for any shady characters who walk by?

Anyway, I walked up to the house and knocked.

I had some money with me, and besides, I didn’t refuse labor in exchange for food.

“I hope the master of this place will be kind enough to help me.”

Not a sound was heard in the house so I knocked some more.

“Yeah, yeah. Coming.”

The voice was so low that I even recoiled in surprise.

And when the door opened…

… I wanted to run away immediately .

A real anthropomorphic dragon stood before me — about four meters tall, green scaled, and muscular. It was just like the ones I’d seen in books… only real!

‘So the myths were true . Ha ha. Ha…’

I saw surprise in the huge, plate-sized yellow eyes. But that expression flickered off his face, and he asked as if it were a matter of course:

“Greetings, traveler. How can I help you?”

My two impulses were either to turn and run or — which was much worse — to pull a stun gun out of my pocket and shoot. It’s amazing how quickly the courage that had been with me an hour ago faded away. But thank the goddess I pulled myself together and got it out:

“Yikes!… I mean… Hello, sir! I am in dire need of help . Could you take pity on me and replenish my supplies?”

In the couple of seconds that the scaly man was studying me, I suddenly realized that I could phrase my predicament a *bit* better, which made me blush. Nevertheless, he replied:

“Of course, come in,” he said, and then returned to the house leaving the door open just like that.

I wondered if it was a trap, but considering I still believed dragonkin weren’t necessarily monsters, I doubt he would behave like that if he wanted to set a trap for me. 

‘And why would he want to anyway?’

In any case, I walked in, trying not to shake in my boots.

Quickly looking around the hut, I found nothing suspicious. On the contrary, it was as simple and tasteful as the outside. A dining table in the middle, a bookshelf in the corner, and doors to some other rooms on either side. It was strange to see such ordinary things in such an unusual place.

“You can leave your stuff near the door, I won't bite,”  he said as he looked out of the other room,  “by the way, what’s your name?”

“Em… Dimitri Alexander!”  I said the name of the first character that popped into my head.

“Hmm.”

Though I was starting to feel safer, I still didn’t know if I could fully trust this creature or not. It was trying to help me, but… the fact that it wasn’t human still made me uneasy.

Nevertheless, I obeyed and left my things at the entrance as he instructed.

“It’ll take a while, you can sit down and rest in the meantime.”

What I didn’t understand was that he was so comfortable leaving an uninvited guest unattended. What if I was some kind of sneaky burglar, for instance?

I sat down obediently on the chair, twitching my legs nervously. It wasn’t easy to relax… when you’re in the presence of a huge, scaly behemoth that was previously considered only a myth.

Finally, a green-skinned dragon dude appeared with a huge sack full of all sorts of stuff.

“Here you go. I put in here some supplies that should be edible to most creatures, including humans.”

“Oh, thank you so much… um speaking about “much”… how much is that?

But the man only waved his hand.

“Nothing. You don’t have to worry.”

“Really?! Come on, it’s embarrassing… I’ve got these over here…”

I pulled a couple of paper bills out of my wallet, but just as I started to reread them I heard the scaly man jingle something and I saw gold and silver coins in his hands.

“We have a different currency anyway,” —  he explained, smiling faintly with his toothy mouth.

I still couldn’t shake off the feeling of guilt and obligation, but before I could offer anything else the one said:

“Although… I can’t help but wonder how you got here.”

“Oh, that… I didn’t notice myself moving into your territory… the map hasn’t let me down like this for a long time, haha…”

“Can I see it?”

“Yes, of course!”

After examining my card, he pulled his own from the bag he had prepared for me.

“Here’s a more accurate sample.”

As I looked closer, I noticed some differences, the most important of which was the red line marking the border between the two continents — ours and theirs. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that I had crossed it just as I was climbing that unfortunate hill!

“If you’d crossed a border at least a hundred steps apart from that place — you’d be enjoying the company of border guards right now”.

“But…wouldn’t I have been able to spot them from afar?”

“We take a slightly different approach to things. Tell me, are you familiar with magic?”

I’d only heard about magic in fiction, and I didn’t know what to believe. It was rumored to be an energy only the Dragonkin could control. If humans had been given the resources to make all these marvelous inventions, then dragons could somehow get everything our science gave us out of thin air.

I am of course exaggerating as we have long ago discovered the law of “equal exchange” — no energy comes from nowhere and does not go anywhere, and therefore it is unlikely that the dragonkin could just use it…

Looking back on it now, I should have probably conducted more proper research.

“Well, instead of burdening ourselves with daily duty, we just set traps. They’re invisible to the naked eye and only become visible when it’s too late. By the time they paralyze you, the guards would have been informed. Whether you cross the border from inside or outside.”

“For real?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe it… I thought only we could pull off stunts like that!

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“And… what kind of punishment would there be for me…?”

“Depends on several factors. Sometimes you just get a warning. Sometimes they give you a good, hard whipping to get a lesson across. And in your case? All that arsenal you’re carrying around would certainly raise a lot of questions.”

“Oh my—”

“Uh-huh.”

I felt my optimism dwindling and my enthusiasm waning. Are they really that strict? Is there something else I don’t know about their realm?

As if reading my thoughts, the dragon man continued:

“Besides that, I guess you don’t know about a lot of other things. Our world can be quite harsh: the fruits that grow here can poison you if you don’t know how to cook them, and the fauna is much fiercer and fights for its life.”

I felt myself finding it increasingly difficult to keep my face, but I forced myself to smile nonetheless.

“In that case, would you be so kind as to brief me a little on yours…”

'Wait… What the hell am I doing?!'

I almost slapped myself for being reckless. I was so used to asking people for help that I didn’t even realize how dumb it was to ask now, in foreign territory. Who the hell told me to do that? I should have told him it was an accident and that I’d be out of here as soon as I got here. What if he’s a border guard himself?

I almost bit my nails in frustration, but the dragon man, on the other hand, remained completely unperturbed.

“Yes, of course. Speaking of which, I suppose you’re hungry, and I was just about to have lunch. My treat.”

I pondered the offer for a few moments. There definitely should be a catch.

“You can leave, I’m not keeping you.”

I suddenly felt like I was cornered… which was strange, since there was no way to tell from the outside.

‘How humiliating … to pin an adventurer as experienced as me against a wall! Just  like that! …Okay, stop, this is not how a true adventurer should behave! He must always remain strong in spirit and resourceful!’

Therefore, I concluded that the current situation is just a boulder on the road, by overcoming it I will undoubtedly become stronger.

“Of course, I’d be honored to, good sir.”

“Well, that’s good. It’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”

“And yet… Are you sure you don’t need any help? It’s just, I don’t know, awkward or something.”

However, the man only waved it away.

“I don’t have to receive anything in return for my services, although I am pleased that you are so grateful. However…”

He suddenly paused and then added:

“Since you want to hear me out, I’d also like to… have some *other* conversation with you, “Dimitri.”

“Oh…okay!”

I didn’t know what else he wanted to tell me, but… if it’s about some kind of human intelligence gathering, I think I can get away with it without putting my race in harm’s way by being… a little inventive with lies.

…

After the initial shock and horror had passed, I had to admit to myself that this dragonkin was… quite attractive.

I’m no expert on draconology or anything like that, but I can bet my money it’s a middle-aged dragonman.

He had emerald scales and a mountain of muscle on his body. He was dressed in nothing but a shirt and pants, only instead of synthetic fabric, they were made of wool. If I were a woman, I’d say he was a shining example of masculinity. His every muscle and curve probably causes envy and lust in those who look at him.

He also had a pretty neat Mohawk that turned into a mane, horns, and a goatee, and his face looked adorable. For some reason, I had the urge to hug him and even pet him…

‘Okay, stop… I think I went in a completely wrong direction. I need to think of a backstory and origin!’

So I started brainstorming.

'So, what is my best choice for this particular case? The chosen one? No. Amnesia? No. Teleport from another world? Not so good either. Alright, moving on…'

“Why aren’t you eating?” he asked, bringing me down to earth. I remembered that I was very hungry, and I started eating, trying to follow all the rules of etiquette at the table like a true nobleman.

For dinner, there was some strange fish about half a meter in size, which I had never seen before. The dishes were also made of a metal I’d never seen before. It looked like silver but with a kind of purple tint. It was hard to tell… I guess that was more proof that I was really in another realm.

I quickly went back to thinking about my origin. But nothing came to mind until I realized:

‘Holy crap! I’m out of clichés!!!’

Trying to buy myself some more time to think, I decided to start the conversation myself with something casual:

“You have a great library,” I remarked, looking at the bookcase. I didn’t know why, but for some reason, it was making me nervous.

“Ah, this? Yes, thank you. It’s more for decoration purposes. It does come in handy when I have nothing else to do though. I assume you’re an expert on literature?”

I was going to answer in the affirmative, but then I realized that by doing so I risked cutting off half of the options as my backstory.

“How can I tell you…it’s complicated…” I mumbled.

“Really? I’m interested to hear more about these…”complications”. If you’re comfortable talking, of course.”

That was a hint that he wanted to hear something from me, so I decided to use the story of the character whose name I’d chosen. After all, he wouldn’t suspect a thing.

“You know, it’s a long story… and a bit sad. I come from the distant kingdom of Fargus… a kingdom that has now gone up in flames.”

It had been quite some time since I’d read The Flaming Crest, but I still remembered most of it.

During my monologue, I noticed how for some reason I can’t stop looking at that pesky bookshelf.

‘What the hell is wrong with it…?’

Somehow I retold almost every bit of Dimitri’s tragic story, only turning the events in a different direction at some points.

“So, after being betrayed by my own sister, I ran away, and now I’m looking for a way to escape. I don’t know if there is light at the end of the tunnel, and yet, as hard as it is for me…”

Suddenly I noticed one of the books on that damn shelf… and felt frozen, not realizing if it was just a similar book or if it was actually…

‘The Flaming Crest?! That can’t be… since when do Dragonkins read the same stuff as us?!’

“Why have you stopped?” the creature asked me suddenly. At that moment, his expression became unreadable.

“HUH? OH! You know, it’s just, uh…”

Suddenly I was completely miffed and at a loss for words.

'Maybe he hasn’t even read it…? ' — I was about to continue my lie when he cut me off:

“Well, I see you’ve forgotten your backstory, so let me jog your memory, “Dimitri”: after you were betrayed by your sister and spent five years in prison, you were rescued by your mentor, who showed you the path to salvation and redemption after you, you know, killed a bunch of people to avenge your family. In a nutshell."

I barely held myself back from dropping my jaw to the floor.

‘I’m caught!…’

If it was a board game, I think I’ve rolled a critical failure right now… so much so that it’s time for the dice to get a number zero on it exclusively for me. I’ve never been this screwed before. I lied to almost every person I met and not one of them got suspicious. And yet I got caught by some lizard who wasn’t even from our realm.

‘Unbelievable!’

While I was recovering from the shock, the lizard propped his cheek with his fist and looked at me expectantly. The facial expressions of our races might be different, but the look of unconcealed irony on his face at that moment was unmistakable.

“So? How much of a man of culture am I?”

“You are… very impressive…” I mumbled. I know I have to come up with a plan B, but I was so bewildered that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” — he said, and, after his mocking grin had completely come off, he continued, “Real talk: aren’t you ashamed even a little bit?

'Ashamed? Wait…what should I be ashamed of? It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong …'

“… for spewing such obvious lies for personal gain?”

“Wait, stop…”

This one I couldn’t let go.

“What specific “gain” are you even talking about?!”

“That’s what I want to hear from you,” he clarified, “because I thought I’d made it very clear: I don’t need to see tears to help someone. You could always ask for more if you didn’t have enough. You didn’t strike me as a self-serving person at first, but… maybe I was wrong?”

I felt my face flush with red .

‘If I don’t have enough? Do I look like a parasite?! ’

“Or was the real reason you decided to choose a new past because you were unhappy with your present? Or because your parents were cruel to you? Because if something happened to them, I don’t think you’d be so careless about lying.”

“So, first of all, sir, you’re being paranoid. As you noticed, I didn’t need anything more from you and I stayed only out of gratitude… which I already regret by the way. Secondly… in the name of the Holy Goddess, don’t make up a backstory for me!”

“Me?…” the lizard started, but I didn’t let him continue.

“…and third, why should I be honest with *you*? Maybe you’re some kind of spy for all I know!”

“I see you’ve got quite an imagination, kid. Do I look like a spy?”

“Well, no, but, you see, that’s the point: spies don’t usually *want* to look like they are . They are the *spies* at the end of the day. Speaking of which, where did you get The Flaming Crest from? That book should only be available in our realm!”

“This is a novel I bought with my honest-earned gold, and if you’re implying that I rob and kill your kind for some kind of stuff, you’re even more delusional than I am.”

“Oh, so you’re killing my kind for something more valuable then?”

He shot me a look that almost made me fall out of my chair. He looked more like a wild animal than the nice man who’d just helped me. I couldn’t decide if I was more scared of that or more pissed off that he was treating me like an irrational child . I even involuntarily reached for the taser that was still in my pocket.

I also remembered that nothing was keeping me here and I could leave at any time.

Meanwhile, the overgrown lizard took a couple of deep breaths and continued.

“Anyway… not considering the fact that you could have just honestly admitted that you couldn’t tell me about yourself for one reason or another instead of spouting… *this* kind of nonsense, do you even realize that there are people in this world who have *indeed* lost something important in their lives? It’s not just fictional characters who lose loved ones. Don’t you think you’re disrespecting those people by making up this story about yourself?”

‘Now, that’s just absurd. Since who does this prick think he is? A paragon of justice?’

“Why don’t you throw some potshots at those writers, storytellers, and musicians who dedicate their prose to that type of story?”

“You see, my friend, they address those stories to very heroes you described, not  *themselves*. Speaking of which, many of those heroes are based on real people who sacrificed their lives for great causes. I'm pretty sure even that Dimitry guy was based on one. On the other hand, what did *you* do to take credit for that?”

“I’m listening to a deranged reptiloid. And you know what? That’s a modest start.”

“So you’re not gonna change your tune, huh?”

His face had long since stopped being cute. Now it was threatening, his eyes fixed on me like needles, his smile turning into a toothy snarl.

But in spite of all this…

“You started it first, so, hey, don’t look at me like that.”

…I refused to give up.

At this point, my right hand was already clutching the taser, ready to pull it out at any moment.

Inwardly, I shrank with fear, barely trying to hide it anymore. Sweat dripped from my forehead. Nevertheless, I summoned all the courage of a true adventurer and waited.

…But after a few agonizing seconds, the lizard sighed heavily and unhappily, as if getting  tired of this .

‘I won ? That’s odd…I don’t feel any excitement from it …’

I suddenly realized that I’d hurt him, and I wasn’t happy about it. Did I have to act that way? Wasn’t it easier and better to just admit that I’d screwed up and promise not to do it again?

Aside from the arguments with my father, I couldn’t think of a single person I’d ever behaved like that with… how undignified. A nobleman must maintain his dignity in all situations.

But before I could consider any of this, the lizard calmed down and even… smiled…?

“Well, alright then!” He said casually, then picked up his plate and carried it somewhere off the room… completely unfazed.

‘I don’t get it…what’s going on? ’

I couldn’t tell if the danger was over or not, and I didn’t know what he was planning to do next. Attack me? Eat me? I had to stay alert.

“I guess your dad’s alive and well after all?”

“And even well-fed, believe it or not…”

'Wait, what does this have to do with him?'

Then it came to me:

‘Probably just tell me to go home. Well, let him. I’ll probably have to leave his supplies behind, but I don’t feel like taking them anyway so that’s fine. So, three, two, one…’

“Well, in that case, you’ll stay here until tomorrow.”

“Wait…what???”

"…And *by* tomorrow I’ll wrap you up like a nice, little present and hand you over to the border guards. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they don’t treat you too harshly. Your father, on the other hand, most likely will have something to say to you, and I have zero doubts in my mind he will be doing this for a *very* a long time after this,” he finished, coming back to his seat and sitting down with a satisfied smile.

At that moment, I felt like something exploded inside me.

'That’s… so messed up!…'

Blushing with rage and humiliation I said:

“You know what?! Find yourself another princess to kidnap. I’m leaving."

“I beg your pardon, young man, what are you even talking about? Kidnapping? I don’t kidnap anyone. On the contrary, I’m returning things to where they rightfully belong!”

His pompous, innocent face only pissed me off more. I swear he should have been born a troll.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m done here anyway. See ya.”

“And where do you think you are going? It’s pretty late, you know. Do you know how dangerous it can be at this time? All sorts of creatures and monsters are waking up, like, for instance…”

While the lizard talked about various other chupacabras besides himself, I gathered up all my belongings and headed for the door.

“Won’t you at least take my supplies?”

“You can keep them. Feel free to choke on them for all I care.”

Finally putting on my backpack, I headed for the door… when suddenly its handle turned into a spiky vine. It was the first time  I’d ever seen magic being used in my life, and it was directed at me. I knew Lady. Luck was a common prostitute. I knew it!

“That's enough, you brat. If you don’t understand common sense , I’ll use other methods to get through that head of yours. I thought you had at least some of it in you but… oh well.”

His tone suddenly became cold and serious. It was so strange after hearing  his snide taunts from before. But it didn’t matter anymore: I was in trouble, and I began urgently going over the possible escape plans in my mind.

“Hey sir, did you know by chance that the law of the Republic of Noctua punishes kidnapping and holding someone against their will?” I said, remembering what equipment I had that could help me out aside from the pesky taser.

“No, but I *do* know a punishment for making false accusations. By the way, thanks for telling me where you’re from, that’ll speed things up.”

“Oh, don’t mention it, I was happy to help!” — I said, with a mocking bow.

And while I was at it, one of my hands went down to my waistband, quickly reached into my pocket, and stuffed itself into a nylon glove. After that, I rushed to the door and opened it without any pain or resistance.

“Stop right there!!!”

I didn’t even bother to look at the lizard, and just sprint as fast as I could … when suddenly I near;y tripped on something.

A glance downward made it clear that the vines were wrapping around my ankles, and glancing at the lizard again I noticed him thrusting his hand forward, chanting some words.

I couldn’t wait any longer.

Without further hesitation, my other hand pulled out a taser from my pocket, took aim, and fired. Suddenly, the vines tried to wrap around it too, but luckily for me, the taser was faster.

The thin beam hit him right in the chest, and the pressure of the vines on my body loosen . Immediately. I wanted to run away like I’d planned… but suddenly found that I couldn’t. It was like I was the one who was paralyzed, not the dragon man.

In the moments that followed, I struggled to release the trigger, or at least move the beam away from him, but the adrenaline rush of rage, fear, and still perceived danger prevented me from doing so.

“ARGH!”

The creature roared and fell to the floor. Only now haveI forced myself to toss the gun aside.

…And immediately unimaginable guilt and remorse overwhelmed me.

‘Goddess… What….have I done!?…’

“I’M SORRY!!!”

As soon as my facade cracked, I wanted to run up to the lizard and provide first aid, but stopped  as soon as I found that he was still breathing. I hesitated, but finally, my instinct for self-preservation took over, so I turned and ran away.

My running quickly turned into a sprint as I tried to get as far away as possible, dragging my heavy bag behind  me.

I ran and ran until finally, exhaustion made me give up completely and fall to the ground.

My legs ached, my lungs ached, but most of all, my heart ached. When did I become so cruel? When did this fun journey become so dark?