Peacock groaned. Pain reverberated across every inch of him, mapping out each scale from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. Damn it, that hurt. Good thing I’m used to it.

He rolled onto his feet. Cold and wet worked its way between his fingers and toes as he forced his eyes to focus on his new surroundings.

A riverbank stretched to his left and right. The rocky bank dipped steadily down on both sides, creating a fast-moving center of water which looked deeper than he was tall. The sound of water rushing by proved this was not a river he wanted to swim across with less than ten percent health.

The feeling of Nex’s healing magic, deceptively warm and comforting, invaded Peacock’s thoughts. No. Never again, Nex. I’m no longer your toy.

Peacock turned toward the sheer cliff face he’d fallen down. In the absence of healing spells, he needed either healing items, or better yet, rest. But to rest, he needed a safe spot.

The walls of the ravine dipped in and stuck out at random intervals, the jagged rock across its surface making it even more rough and unpredictable. Still, none of the outcroppings stood out enough to hide Peacock from a roaming mob, or another Rebirth. Guess it’s time to dig.

He turned to the closest wall and clawed at the stone, slowly at first, then faster and faster as he got into the rhythm. Each swipe shot more pain up his arm and over his body, the cumulative effects of starvation, sleep deprivation, and low health compounding the misery.

Peacock smirked. Feels like home.

It was near dark by the time he’d hollowed out a large enough den to fit inside of, and Peacock’s discomfort had once again repeated itself into meaningless.

He walked a few steps into the river and emptied another load of rocks from his inventory. The signs of his digging disappeared into the water with a splash. The fact his den had no door, and he had no way of concealing it, ensured anyone or anything walking by would notice him. But, without a pile of rocks next to it, at least it wouldn’t also be obvious from a mile away.

Peacock returned to the newly dug den and curled into a ball. He initiated sleep before the dark unease at the back of his mind pushed to the front.

*****

Peacock’s first thought was how amazing it was to feel rested. His second thought was how lucky he was to not get found.

Pale morning light bathed his shallow den. He sighed. Of course he’d accidentally picked the side that got morning sun. That way, he could stick out like a big, scaly jewel beside the river.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

On the other hand, the fact his sleep hadn’t been interrupted probably meant this part of the riverbed got little traffic. As good of a place as any to try to find some food and items.

Now that he was rested, his hunger felt more acute. Good thing a river meant fish in every MMO he’d ever played.

A quick scan of the water proved him right. Fish darted up and down the river, the light glinting off their scales in golds, silvers and browns. The largest was only the size of Peacock’s hand, and there were only five, but anything would be better than nothing. Now he just needed to figure out how to fish.

If fishing was like the other abilities he’d unlocked, all he needed to do was focus and try. That left the question of how a dragon fished.

Peacock looked down at his hands sinking into the wet riverbank. His front limbs were effectively human, albeit with a lot more scales and claws. If he had a dragon-sized fishing rod, he could have used it. The lack of trees or anything resembling rope or thread in the ravine kind of put a damper on that, though.

He lifted a hand from the muck and flexed it. His claws shone black, with sharp tips curling in. The claws were shorter than an eagles, but much thicker than a cats. Bear-like. Peacock sighed. Of course. He was a dragon, a predator. Why would he need tools to fish?

Peacock waded into the river with a growl, stopping when the water lapped against his neck. The two fish nearest him darted away. Then, in true pre-determined fashion, went back to their original spots and circled some more. The closest fish swam conveniently within arm’s reach.

He lashed out, missed. The fish shot off. More annoyingly, no AI heralded his new fishing ability. Maybe there wasn’t a fishing ability. Or maybe it took more attempts.

Either way, these fish were the first edible things he’d come across that weren’t also trying to eat him. He wasn’t about to give up.

His startled prey returned to their lazy circle. Peacock struck again.

*****

ABILITY UNLOCKED: FISHING

Finally. Peacock barely looked at the silver-scaled fish impaled on his claws before popping it into his mouth and chewing on it with all his frustration.

Sixteen tries. Sixteen times of watching the damned fish flit away and back again. It seemed to learn a new ability, he needed to succeed at it first. Annoying, but good to know.

Peacock swallowed, his ebbing frustration letting him notice the flavor of the food. Sweet, salty, meaty, and best of all, fresh. No taste of rot and poison. Just clean, delicious meat.

He drooled as his stomach growled. More. He scooted closer to the second fish, took a deep breath, and lashed out.

Each attempt at catching a fish took slightly less time, and by the time the fifth fish slid down his gullet, Peacock’s fishing was up to level four.

Peacock licked his lips and frowned. He was still hungry, but with no more fish in view, more fishing meant travelling down the river. Travelling had proven plenty dangerous. The bear mob’s level was higher than his, and other local mobs would be similar. If he was going to risk being torn apart by woodland creatures, he was going to risk it while moving to a new area.

He craned his head up, taking in the full length of the ravine wall on the other side of the river. All he had to do was cross the fast-moving water and scale a sheer cliff face. Then he could be on his way. Slightly less dangerous than being at the mercy of giant bears. Maybe.