With Cyrus in my arms, I walk forward with a heavy heart. Will I be able to do this, will I be able to keep this a secret from all the other dragons, where should I go, will I be able to find the medicine I need?
Stopping in one place my eyes open as I realize. The murderer of my parents could be right here, he could be watching us, hunting us at this very moment. The image of my parents corpses flashes through my head and I start to shake.
“S-S-S-S-Sister!” Cyrus says while coughing.
Composing myself I say, “Don’t speak, just rest.” I don’t have time to be worried, I have lived my life to make him happy, so his life is my number 1 priority.
I move forward throughout the lands. The human soil is poor, I doubt the vegetation of Avesta could grow here. The air purity is also a lot worse; I am finding it a lot harder to breathe, I also don’t understand the purpose of all the vast open areas here, in Avesta they exist so people can use their dragon forms, but since humans don’t take up much space this seems wasteful.
After a little bit of walking, I eventually come across a small area with a lot of humans. This place is extremely tiny; is this supposed to be a village?
Walking into the village, I see people staring at me, so I announce myself, “My name is Paribanou Damavand, child of Cambyses and Mandana Damavand, and current Shah of the city of Damavand. Now feeble humans bring me out your greatest doctor!”
The humans look shocked at the words that I speak, and then I start to hear them talk amongst themselves, but all of their words are incomprehensible to me.
“Why do you humans speak nonsense in front of a dragon such as myself, this disrespect will be met by death!”
One of the humans walking out, says, “Sorry, about that no one else here except me speaks the Saviour's song.”
Even though I can understand him every few words he says confuses me. “I can only understand half the words you say, is the speech ability of all you humans so appalling.”
“I think that is because you're speaking the more traditional version of the Saviour's song, while I speak a more modern version.”
“Excuses will not be tolerated, human. Just give me what I ask.”
“Sorry, but we don’t have any medicine then.”
“You have outlived your usefulness, die then!”
“Wait, wait, wait, I know someone who can help.”
“Where is this person?”
“They live a little away from our village, and we help each other every now and then. I will write them a letter, and then you can just follow the path on a map.”
As he hands me the letter and map, I say, “You have done good human. I will reward you.” Pathing him on the head, I say, “Good job human, the touch of a dragon is something you will never experience again.”
With a smile, I walk away, and say, “Good day to you.”
When I make it out of sight of the village I start to run, “Cyrus we are almost there.”
After a little while of running, I see another small area with a group of people with swords walking around. Running up to them I announce myself, “My name is Paribanou Damavand, child of Cambyses and Mandana Damavand, and current Shah of the city of Damavand. Now feeble humans bring me out your greatest doctor!!!”
One of them walks up to me and like the humans before he says something incomprehensible as he reaches for my horn. Grabbing his arm I break it, and say, “A dragon's horns are their sign of loyalty to nirvana and the dragon gods, to allow anything to happen to them is a sign of treachery of the highest order and you will be forever banished from Avesta.”
Breaking his other arm, I say, “To touch a dragon's horns is to assault a dragon's life, so if you dirty monkeys think you can take my life, I will slaughter each and every one of you!” With one hand I throw the man all the way to the back.
Seeing this they all fall to the floor, and then one of them screams something that is incomprehensible to me. Which causes a man to rush out from a tiny house behind them.
“Did you not hear me, humans!!!”
The man who just came out bows, and says, “I am sorry for any disrespect my comrades’ have caused, please spare our lives. we will listen to whatever you say.”
Walking up to him I hand him a letter and say, “Your patron gave me this.”
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Reading the letter, the man bows and says, “Oh great dragon, thank you for blessing my insignificant existence by allowing me to help you in your search for medicine.”
“Finally, one of you seems to know respect!”
“But before we go and look for the medicine, I will need some physical payment.”
“You dare demand something from me human!?”
Panicked he says, “Sorry, but we are too poor to purchase the medicine needed for that little one, so would you please bless us with some funds.”
Opening the bag I brought with me, I drop a piece of aster in their hands, “That single piece of aster should be enough.”
All around me, people open their eyes as if they are in disbelief. “This shiny red and gold rock is something I have never seen before, I can tell the purity of this is ridiculous”
“Enjoy human, you will never see such a thing again.”
“I will send my men ahead of us to start getting things ready.”
“Why don’t we immediately go?”
“On the human nations things are a bit more complicated, so it isn’t that simple. So, in the meantime let’s all enough a nice relaxing meal to celebrate your arrival here.”
“I don’t have time for such things, my brother conditio-.”
“Don’t worry we have some stuff that will help alleviate symptoms.”
“Watch yourself human, and never cut me off again.”
“Right!”
“Ok then let’s go.”
-Break-
Sitting on the chair in their tiny dining hall, I eat the food they have set out for me, but it is all so hollow. “Why is all this food so lacking in density, I could eat a100000 plates of this and I wouldn’t feel full.”
“That stuff is from the wonderbeast byakko, it is some of the largest meat we have on the continent!?”
“If that is so you humans are actually more pathetic than I thought. I see why you humans are so weak, if your food was this small and tasted this weird, I wouldn’t eat at all either.”
“Sister!” I hear a voice call me.
Looking over I see that Cyrus is walking around full of life, so I walk over to him and say, “Cyrus you’re all better.”
“Yep!”
Looking at the people around him, I say, “How did you do this?”
“We simply gave him a suppressant, it tricks your brain into thinking nothing is wrong so it allows people to go on living as normal, and my god did he need a lot of it, must be your different physiology.”
“I see so he is healed.”
“Not at all, we have just curbed the symptoms he still needs medicine to rid his body of it completely.”
With a fierce glare, I say, “I don’t understand what you say human, he looks better, so how isn’t he better? Do you wish to die, human!”
Cowering he says, “I don’t make the rules, that is just how it is, I want your brother better as much as you do.”
“I will believe you, now Cyrus come eat some of this garbage food.” After Cyrus returns to my side, we sit down to eat until the sun goes down then we head to bed.
Lying beside a tree with Cyrus snuggled up beside me I look at the sight in front of me. All the humans have passed out on the floor, it seems this pathetic meal we had today was a rather extravagant feast for them, so they drank and partied till they dropped.
It seems they pulled out all the stops to welcome our presence in their little area, these humans here seem to understand the value of a dragon's existence.
Looking to my side I see that Cyrus is asleep, so I say, “It is nice to not have to worry about someone stabbing you in the back as you sleep, and the humans treat me with respect not to mention they aren’t looking to hurt you. This truly feels like a utopia, I wish this could be my life minus the horrible food.
Oh, and I guess I haven’t said this yet today, but happy birthday Cyrus, I hope we will get to celebrate you’re next one, the 100th together. Good night, Cyrus.” Closing my eyes, I fall asleep without a worry in the world.
-Break-
The next morning, as we sit on a mind-numbingly slow carriage, I say, “Are we there yet?”
“Sorry mighty dragon, but we have to take a longer road than usual.”
Turning back to face Cyrus, I see him say, “Sister are you ok?”
“Yeah, I think I am just feeling a little strange, might be because of this slow movement.”
“I am not feeling anything, so I will protect you, sister!”
Patting his head, I say, “It seems whatever medicine they gave you got rid of your stutter. I will get those humans to give me some, they should happily accept such a request.
Suddenly the carriage stops, and I notice the person driving us jumps out and starts to run, “What the hell,” I say picking up Cyrus and heading outside.
When I leave the carriage in front of me, I see a massive horde of humans with weapons in their hands, and in the back of all of them is the leader of the men we spent the night with yesterday.
“Can you please explain this discourtesy you have shown me!!”
Blowing on a small white smoking object, the man blows out smoke and says, “Shut the fuck up you dumb bitch.”
“Due to the kindness you have shown us yesterday, I will give you 5 seconds to take back your words.”
“How frightening, I think I might piss my pants.”
“Now listen huma-.”
“No, you listen idiot. You see this army, it was bought with the stone you gave me, and thanks to your ignorance I know you have a whole lot more than this, so you're going to hand it over to me.”
“It seems you have become cocky, human!!!” I say slamming my foot into the ground. But when I do I realize that none of the ground beneath me is breaking apart, and then I suddenly collapse on one knee. What is going on?
“Wondering where all your strength has gone? Maybe next time you shouldn’t accept food from a stranger.”
“You did something to my meal.”
“When wonderbeasts can be found all around having tranquillizing agents and muscle relaxers on hand can come in handy.”
“Such cowardly tactics you human?”
Throwing his smoking little stick on the ground, he says, “You dragons are born with so much strength that you guys haven’t even the slightest of medical knowledge, but you see us humans are weak and have to use our heads to survive, and strategy will always trump pure strength. Now go claim our prize.”
“Sister,” Cyrus says running over to me.
Grabbing him, I say, “Cyrus I am going to need you to run away, all the way to the coast and continue to move until you reach home.”
“B-B-B-But what about you si-i-i-ister.”
“Don’t worry about me, I will be right behind you.”
“Pa-a-a-ari.”
“CYRUS, we don’t know when the medicine keeping you healthy will wear off, so I need you to run as fast as you can. Please do this one thing for me.”
As the horde of people come towards me, I shout, “NOW RUN!” And behind me, I hear Cyrus’s running away.