Listening to Lauren talk about these legendary monsters is kinda scary, but also exciting for some reason. They sound like fairy tales, but if these things are actually real, then I’m not sure I like where this is heading. Considering something as powerful as Lauren’s god has her eye on me, it seems like it might interfere with my own plans.
Fighting big and evil monsters just doesn’t mesh with wanting a peaceful life of having fun and hanging out with friends! I’m not gonna deal with it now, though; I still need to get ready for the incoming adventurer attack. It’s possible that all these traders will make them second-guess their attack, since it’s a pretty clear indication that Tuiran is peaceful, but if they do continue their little march, they’ll be met with the full force of my fury.
Thinking back on all of my dragon self’s memories, the horrified impression from my human self has calmed down, it feels like there’s a sense of acceptance at the necessity of fighting those standing in my way. If she can see the same memories as me, I have no doubt the attack on Tuiran would change her mind about how to deal with our foes.
Looking around at the group, I notice Raya looking remarkably pensive, as if she’s contemplating something deep. It’s an unfamiliar expression on the tiny woman.
“Kira, if you were two Kiras in your dream, then which one are you now?”
“Neither and both, I think, I can’t tell. But I’m not sure I could tell that well before either. How much of the dragon was the traveler, and how much of the traveler was left when they became me? What I do know is that I feel stronger and closer to complete.”
One thing I’m sure of is that I’m happy to have my real body back. It feels so much more comfortable than anything else I’ve tried, especially that weird mixture of human and dragon that was by far the most bizarre experience I’ve ever had. I didn’t really notice how unusual it felt when it happened with Charo, but this time, I was far more clear-headed and I simply did not like that body.
“That sounds complicated, but you’ll be fine now that your red eyes are gone.”
They are?! That seems important. Giving her a nudge to have her elaborate, I focus on making sure not to squish her. My new size also means I have a big giant head, which means that I need to be more careful with my movements.
“You didn’t know that your eyes had turned purple?”
“How would I know, Raya? I can’t see my eyes.”
“I guess that means I’m just better than you, then. I can see your eyes clearly.”
Well, now she’s just pushing my buttons. Just as I’m about to give her a lick, Joras shouts for me to stop, which I find quite rude.
“With your growth, we need to be cautious with your venom, it may have become more potent.”
That’s a good point… Dang it, growing up just keeps biting me in the ass. Putting a stop to my plans of punishing Raya for now, I retract my tongue and settle in to think of other ways I might use to punish Raya for being uppity.
“It would be prudent to listen to what Lauren knows about these historical instances of divine intervention, rather than playing around, Kira. If you are involved, we need to learn as much as we can.”
That is reasonable, I guess, but we do have something else to deal with before that.
“Before that, how about we make a battle plan for how to deal with the incoming adventurers? As far as I’m concerned, they have had ample opportunity to abandon their foolish mission to attack my Tuiran.”
Repeating what I said to Lauren in my mind, her eyes drop as a gloomy expression covers her face. I have no doubt she would rather have this entire thing just fade away, but as far as I can tell, that isn’t an option. Feeling around in my mind, I find myself feeling a little regretful that even now, these people prepare to meet their death, but other than that, I have no problem with what I must do to protect what’s mine.
I’m brought out of my thoughts as I feel Lauren’s resolve building, if she has any good ideas on a peaceful solution, I would be inclined to listen. I suspect that it’s likely she knows some of the people who are heading towards us.
“Kira, can I try talking to them when they show up? I might be able to reason with them, and if I can save a few of them, then please allow me that sliver of hope.”
Geez, she’s awfully polite all of a sudden, and I don’t like it.
“Lauren, why are you being weird? Just talk normally.”
“Respect must be given to one chosen by the Gods.”
“Screw that, you don’t see me respecting you just because you’re Merfic- Mercerf- whatever her name is’s champion.”
“…What?… What do you mean I’m Merciferus’ champion?! How the fuck did you come to that conclusion?!”
“That’s more like it. She told me that’s why she helped me. You, her champion, asked for help, so she helped. The whole thing is a bit rude, if you ask me. She should help people regardless of their status, not just because they’re fancypants champions like you.”
With Lauren feeling upset and worried, I think it’s fair to say that she might not have known about all of this champion business, which means it’s already making her life harder. With Lauren spiraling into a panic attack, Joras seems to have something to say on the matter.
“The power of this group seems to be growing at an alarming rate and, putting my ego aside, I can’t keep up. Starting with Kira, we have a Traveler Dragon growing so fast it could make your head spin. That alone is frightening, but then add to it the arrival of the Champion of Merciferus, the second strongest God of our pantheon. That creates a terrifying power center, but now we have Raya becoming something new and strong. I have never even heard of what you are, Raya.”
Poor guy has low self-esteem, we’ll need to do a better job of including him in the future. He is a huge part of how this entire thing came together, after all.
“Don’t worry so much, Joras, you’re awesome too. You’re the first guy to stab a dragon in the tongue, as far as I know. That’s impressive!”
For some reason, he just covers his face in his hands, so I’m not sure he agrees with me on that one, but I can tell that Lauren has shifted from worried and scared to curious and confused. No doubt she wants to hear the daring tale of how Joras fought off a mighty dragon and brokered a deal to secure the future of Tuiran!
As I’m regaling her with the origin story of Joras the Diplomat, she looks on with an impressed gaze, hanging on to my every word about his fearsome battle against the mighty and awesome lake dragon!
“That’s not how it happened… I went into the woods and tried to find Raya. And when I found her at Undine Lake, she was just playing around and having fun with Kira, so I didn’t interrupt. Once they departed the lake, I set after them again, and when they spotted me, I knew I was in trouble, but the possibility of saving Lily blinded my reason. With the gentle nature of Kira fresh in my mind, I had the foolish idea that she would surely react with curiosity if she could understand me.”
“Where does the stabbing fit into all of this?”
“I’m particularly skilled with the spell Sanguine Communion, allowing me to create a shallow bond between two parties for the purpose of understanding each other. To cast the spell, I need to blend two sources of blood, and with a Dragon, the only way to do so reliably and with as little harm done as possible would be her tongue.”
Lauren is giving me a weird look, and I’m not sure how to interpret it, but she seems even more confused than before, that’s for sure. After telling her how he tricked me, she goes on to ask for a demonstration, and he repeats the trick to get me to expose my tongue. I’ll play along, but if I get stabbed again, I’m gonna be annoyed.
“And so, acting with haste, I placed my hand on her tongue and pierced both with my dagger, allowing me to cast the spell. Before you ask, yes, she did react. She threw me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me, but my gamble paid off and I managed to speak before she killed me. I cannot deny that the idea was risky, but I trusted my instincts and now Lily is safe and there’s no trace of elapidaean venom, so a risk well worth taking. Though she still struggles with the aftereffects of her ordeal.”
“That can’t have been recent. I can’t see you being so stupid as to try something like that with a beast the size of Kira.”
“Would you believe that about three weeks ago, she and I stood face to face? I did not exaggerate her growth making your head spin.”
“Fucking hells, that is terrifying… I thought her recent growth spurt was a rare thing…”
She actually does smell scared, but I don’t think I’ve done anything to warrant- Okay, I want a clean slate. For the purposes of maybe being blamed for stuff, I’m a different Kira and therefore innocent. I haven’t killed anyone since Oakhold. The first time.
Besides, I’m not THAT big, but as I point that out, Raya falls over laughing, and the other two just stare at me. I suspect they aren’t inclined to agree.
“Kira, stand up and I’ll stand next to you.”
I do as Joras instructs, and his shoulder is just a bit higher than my elbow. No wonder I feel the need to be careful around them, they're so tiny.
“Now lie down again with your head on the ground.”
This feels weird, but again I follow his instructions. Raya and Lauren move out of the way, and as I touch the ground with my chin, Joras uses my horns to climb up onto me.
“Now Kira, just to emphasize how big you are, I’m gonna lie down on your head.”
With his feet on my nose, I’ve got a rough estimate of where he is and if I’m correct, his shoulders should be right around the base of my horns, which means... Geez, I wasn’t wrong about having a big giant head, my freakin’ head is about a meter and three quarters long (5.7 ft)! No wonder I’ve started bumping into things again. I was sort of aware of how big I am now, but having it made this clear is something else, that’s for sure.
What that means is that those dang wolves won’t stand a chance now! A manly and powerful yelp from Joras alerts me to the fact that I may have moved a bit fast in my excitement about fighting the local predators. Speaking of things I want gone from my territory, we should talk about those adventurers again and solidify a plan of some sort. I sort of did interrupt Lauren when she made her request.
Asking her about what she wants to do, she’s quick to suggest riding out to meet the group, but I’m not sure how I feel about it. If they were to decide that she was an enemy, she would be alone, and I wouldn’t be near enough to help.
“Kira, it’s not likely that they would harm me. If your worries become reality, the Guild rules require them to imprison me until the arrival of an arbiter. I would be safe in their custody. Besides, who would harm the Champion of Merciferus?”
She does sound pretty sure of it playing out like that, but I have far less faith in those jerks. I do have faith in Lauren, though, so I won’t stand in the way of her plan. As soon as I agree, she thanks me, which just serves to make me uncomfortable. It feels more like reverence for the Traveler than appreciation for a friend... I hope that nonsense wears off soon.
Raya’s pensive expression catches my attention, and I focus my gaze on her. As soon as I do, she throws a question my way.
“What did it feel like to be two people?”
That’s a good distraction, and it does feel weird. Going into a bit of a rant, I explain how the benefit of hindsight allows me to see it with more clarity, and the whole thing was like a throbbing ache. An open wound I had no idea how to deal with, how it was grating and drove me toward certain decisions. So at the very least, my temper should be easier to control now.
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As I explain, Lauren whistles for her mount, which seems to have no problem with my presence. As soon as it reaches her, she mounts up and sets out.
“You didn’t even say goodbye, you lousy first-aid kit!”
I get a sense of amusement back from our bond as she rides through the gate into town. If I feel her being scared, I’ll have to go retrieve her.
Going back to explaining what I feel to Raya, I mention how the dull aching pain is practically gone, but if I pay attention to it, it’s still there. I have no doubt it’ll fade in time, but I will still need to be a bit more careful with it, although I’m sure that the human part of me is far more prepared for fighting now. Whatever weird stuff fighting that god did, I’m sure that one of the things was to make me more confident.
I may have lost my fight against her, but I’m feeling more prepared to face what I have to in the future.
“Sate my curiosity, Kira, how come we came out here instead of meeting at the town square?”
“That seems pretty obvious, Joras. I wanted to grill some meat, but we ran out for some reason. I can’t just start fires in town and do it there.”
“I don’t understand, why can’t you start a fire in town?”
“It’s against the rules, isn’t it? Fire safety and all that.”
For someone still on my head, he’s far too happy to laugh at me... Nodding a few times to jostle him changes his tune quite a bit as he has to focus on holding on. It doesn’t do much, though, as he’s quick to compose himself as soon as I stop moving.
“Even if we disregard the fact that you’re the Guardian Dragon and nobody can or will stop you, the square was made the size it is specifically for bonfires during celebrations.”
Oh… Well, now I know, and that means I won’t have to bother with the increasing lack of dragon-accessibility in this town.
After dismissing my oddities as traveler nonsense, Raya and Joras start talking about this and that as I take a moment to just enjoy the gentle noise of their conversation. With Joras on my head, I feel a small vibration every time he speaks and it’s like a mild head massage. I might have to promote him to a hat soon. With how peaceful everything is right now, slumber takes hold and I drift away.
————————
A strange scent jolts me awake, and the sound of Joras hitting the ground indicates that he was still on top of me as I slept, but that’s for later to deal with. Looking at the sky, it’s nearing evening, and there’s something in the woods.
What kind of moron tries to sneak up on us when we’re downwind from them? We’re about to find out as I get up and rush toward the source of the smell. In barely any time at all, I reach the trees and move between them with remarkable agility.
Whoever was here has run away, but they’ve done a poor job of hiding. They really should have invested in those annoying potions Joras makes for sneaking. The trail is clear as day and I’ll be on them in a moment. They are trying to be clever by taking paths between narrow trees, but it isn’t helping. I’m faster and I’m big enough to knock aside the obstacles that I can’t dodge.
Slowing down a bit, I allow my prey some leeway. This is fun, and I want to enjoy it some more. Trees flash past me as I have to find stable ground to keep running, filling me with excitement. I might have to play like this with Raya sometime.
My fun is cut short as my quarry trips, letting out a scream. Slowing my pace, I approach and loom over the fool trying to escape. They’re keeping their body covered in cloth, but I’m not smelling anything aside from the usual scents of fear.
A familiar magic cackles in the air as the smell of ozone fills the area. Adding to it is a delicious smell of blood, they must have hurt themselves during the fall. Judging by the angle of their leg, I doubt they’re gonna be running away anytime soon.
Now that I've caught my prey, I find myself remarkably bored, and I kinda just want to return to Tuiran and have some dinner. For a moment, the thought of just leaving them here crosses my mind, but I should be the bigger person and get them some help, I guess. Using my agile tongue, I pick them up in my mouth and ignore the terrified screaming as I make my way back to town.
They're lucky I'm so big that they don't have to worry about my teeth, as I can fit their entire body in my mouth. Granted, they're curled up a bit, but I can't do anything about that, walking on that broken leg isn't an option.
For whatever reason, the cackling magic has stopped now, which is good, I'd rather not deal with that when I'm trying to be cautious.
It takes some time, but as soon as I reach Joras and Raya, Joras fires off a question about why I left all of a sudden. With my most elegant speech, I inform him of a spy in our midst trying to sniff out our secrets.
"Swallow your food before talking, Kira. I can't understand a word you're saying."
I'm not sure I should, so with some effort, I manage to spit out the spy without her hitting the ground too hard. She doesn't seem to be in the best of moods, but she'll be fine.
"I said I smelled something in the woods, so I gave chase and found a spy!"
"Well, now it seems we will see if the potency of your venom has increased with your growth."
Deciding not to focus on what he just said, I take a moment to inspect this spy woman, she's definitely familiar, but the weird cackling magic has subsided.
Looking back up, I spot Joras indicating for me to open my mouth, and I do so. With a quick jab of his dagger, he casts the talking spell so I can understand the spy. Very considerate of him.
Looking at the forest lady, the obvious first question is...
"Why do you keep shocking me? I never did anything to you! It's such a rude thing to do, and now you're back here, but you'd better not start shocking me again!"
The rude lady doesn't even defend herself as she stares at me with that flabbergasted expression. I'm inclined to tell her to leave, but she can't with that leg...
"My deepest apologies! I lose control of my magic when fear enters my heart! Please let my punishment be mild as I'm judged for my transgressions!"
Great... Now she's prostrating... Geez, she needs to calm down and take care of that leg of hers. Freakin' bone is showing. Joras seems to have noticed too, as he takes hold of it and stretches the leg before pouring some potion on it. She doesn't take it too well, which is fair, he's not exactly being gentle with her.
As the liquid touches the wound, the flesh stitches together and the wound closes up. I doubt it heals well enough that she should be running on it, so we'll have to keep her around for observation.
"Wait, if you shock people when you're scared, why aren't you shocking Joras now?"
She seems taken aback as she turns to look at the elf manhandling her leg. I'm not sure what I expected her reaction to be here, but bursting out laughing isn't it. And poking Joras in the face certainly isn't it. But she's doing both of those things.
"He's not affected by my magic! I can touch him! I can touch someone!"
The medical procedure seems to have devolved into her poking him and him trying to make her stop. He seems to be growing quite annoyed with the whole process, but it looks very funny to me, so I won't stand in the way of her excitement.
Raya, being the responsible adult that she is, joins in and starts poking Joras as well. He doesn't have enough hands to fend off the two women poking him, but he sure is trying his best.
"Enough of this! The next person to poke me will be bound in chains and left out here overnight!"
Looking at him, I know what I must do.
"Don't you dare, Kira! I will find a way to bind you."
Okay, geez.
"You can command the Dragon? It was you sleeping atop the Dragon! I apologize for my rudeness, great mage! I did not mean any disrespect! Caught up in my excitement, I lost myself for a moment... Allow me to make up for my transgressions!"
Now she's crawling away from him to prostrate herself before him. I'm quite sure she has the wrong idea about this whole situation.
"See, Joras? I told you, you're just as awesome as the rest of us. The forest lady recognizes it."
After giving me a look, he turns around and heads back to town without saying a word. I'm getting the impression that he's getting tired and needs an old man nap. Raya is quick to run after him, but as she reaches him, he picks her up in a curious way.
"Aaah! Let go of my ears, Joras! It hurts!"
He doesn't let go as they continue into town. I can tell that he isn't actually upset, he's just a little annoyed.
Focusing my attention back on the forest lady, I'm unsure what to do with her, but we can't stay out here all night for no reason. She could use a bath after getting so messy from all that rolling around on the ground. It doesn't help that she was very wet when she did it, which I didn't have anything to do with.
Lowering my head, I tell her to get on, but she hesitates for some reason. I don't think she knows what to do, so, turning my head, I align one of my horns with the ground and tell her to grab hold of it on the inside by the base. With great caution, she manages to do as I instruct, and I turn my head upright again, lifting her up with a cheerful yelp.
See? I'm not so scary. She manages to land at the base of my skull and get seated, so spreading my wings, I let her know that she should hold on tight as we take off. For a moment, I consider bringing her to my lake to wash off the grime, but I don't know her, and my lake is special, so instead, we head for the town square.
With my massive wings, it takes barely more than a powered jump and a glide to reach the center of town, which is a little disappointing, but I'll have to get used to that.
The cacophony of screams as we land serves as a good indication that I forgot about the traders visiting. They seem surprised at my sudden arrival, but they'll be fine, I'm sure. Leaning down, I tell the forest lady that she can climb off now, but again she hesitates. I guess it is a bit of a drop on a broken leg, so instead, we repeat what we did outside of town.
Grabbing hold of my horn, she gets ready as I turn my head and lower her to the ground. As far as I can tell, she's growing comfortable quick, since the scent of fear is dissipating fast. It still lingers, but it's more of a constant sense of terror than outright horror at the situation.
As she looks around, the fear scent increases again, and she backs up against me for some reason. The more people she looks at, the worse it gets, and I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm not sure town life is for her, though, but she should stay until she has recovered. Running around in the wild with a partially healed leg isn't smart.
Moving to my den, she stays close to me, doing her best to stay as close as possible while not getting in my way. She even follows me into my den, which seems like some very risky behavior, considering I've already been directly involved in her getting hurt a few times.
As we enter the main hall, it's clear that she can't see anything. With her hands out, she fumbles around the area, trying not to bump into any unseen things. Well, I might as well make her comfortable with some conversation.
"Why did you leave your home, Forest Lady?"
"My pardons, Great Dragon. I meant no disrespect. When I woke up and you were gone, I feared for my life as I thought you might retaliate. Most react to my magic with hostility as my kind are not well-liked..."
Nervous seems to be her default state.
"Thank you for saving me from the serpent, Great Dragon. I doubt I could have kept running for much longer."
"My name is Kira, not Great Dragon. And stop being so timid. I remember how you yelled at your place, so just be yourself."
All of this formal nonsense is annoying. If Lauren still does it when she returns, I'll have to tease her until she stops. A creak from the wooden door behind me alerts me to Jeannie wanting to leave her room, so I move aside a bit, allowing the door to swing open.
Jeannie looks around and spots the forest lady, so I introduce the pair and hope they'll hit it off as friends. They both seem averse to big crowds. It seems that Jeannie also speaks that human language, so they're quick to hit it off, leaving me as a bit of a third wheel...
Now that I think about it, I don't remember inviting her into my sanctum. That sneaky forest lady just wandered in! Dang it. I need to be mindful of that in the future. At least with her, I'm getting the impression that she isn't intentionally dangerous.
Leaving the anxious duo behind, I leave my den in search of dinner. I'm curious what sort of goodies all these traders might have brought, and now is a perfect time to find out. Unless they've closed up shop for the night, then it's an awful time to find out.
Moving toward the caravans, a familiar face runs to meet me. It's the scalefolk lady again, and as she gets close, she is quick to stop and bow.
"Stop being so formal! I don't like it."
She seems taken aback by my request, but she gives me a smile and a nod as she fights back a tinge of fear.
"As you wish. When we saw you, Kaldren and I were hoping you might join us for our evening meal. He spent most of the day procuring spices from other traders to present his best cooking to you."
Well, that is a convincing argument for joining them...
"Why are you and Kaldren so interested in talking to me? Most others here avert their eyes when I look in their direction, and even more make some effort to hide."
"As Kaldren put it, 'a Dragon's nature is one of extremes. Should you find a kind Dragon, be kind in turn. Should you find a cruel Dragon, run the fuck away.' The dwarven kin are known for their history and poetry, but Kaldren doesn't quite live up to the latter part."
"Since you are adventurers, perhaps you could offer some advice. We're expecting an attack from Plainshold by adventurers in the coming days. How would you say I should deal with it?"
"They have chosen their path. If they stumble and find death, then that is part of being a member of the Guild. We all know it, and we are quick to grow accustomed to friends disappearing. Such is the nature of our profession. That being said, courting death as Plainshold does is folly of the highest degree. I can fault you no more for defending your land than I would the baker for spanking the urchin stealing from him."
She seems to be fine with a bunch of her colleagues dying... Geez, this world is harsh. Thinking back, all that mind-controlled Lauren business might have been my old-world sensibilities coming into focus. Silly dragon-me drawing weird conclusions.
Lying down at the caravans, the smells of cooking food permeate the air, and I have to fight to keep myself from drooling all over the place. Kaldren looks up at me and exclaims something that earns him a jab from the lady, which looks a bit funny, since he's very short and she's quite tall.
"What did he say?"
"He noted your impressive growth since we met on the trade route. It did not quite sink in at the gates."
"Speaking of unrelated topics, I never caught your name. Thinking of you as scalefolk lady is all well and good, but it might get confusing if I meet another scalefolk lady."
"A thousand pardons! How rude of me. I am Shae Tara Nenka. As is customary for my kin, Shae is my profession, Tara is my family name, and Nenka is my given name. You are welcome to refer to me as Tara or Nenka."
"I'm not sure, but Shae means Warden or Protector, right?"
"Very good! Not many know of our tongue, and fewer still know our words. Though do mind that the Warden title is reserved for Shae Tara Volkai, Warden of the Lands Beyond Death. I am merely a Protector."
I can visit the Lands Beyond Death! I want to visit that place! Naturally, I ask about it, but she's being secretive and evasive, which I get the impression I should respect. It does become easier to change the subject when Kaldren moves over to me with a large bowl of stew, holding it up for me to slurp. I might have to adopt this guy because his cooking is amazing.
I end up eating a bunch of stew and various other goodies, and as the night progresses, my people mingle with the traders and both parties are having fun. I'm not seeing anything that would cause alarm, which makes me quite hopeful for the future. Though every visitor aside from Kaldren and Tara keeps quite some distance from me.
One item I need to add to my to-do list is to find out what the hell is going on with the location names, though. It feels odd that I'm hearing the names of places I already know about. And being right about the Faranean word "Shae" is peculiar.