"Where am I?" Aldric muttered to himself, his surroundings engulfed in darkness. "I was meditating just a moment ago. How did I end up here?" Confusion clouded his thoughts. Suddenly, a blinding light pierced through the darkness, partially blinding him.
"What is this?" Aldric exclaimed, shielding his eyes. As the light dimmed, he found himself in a vast white room without walls, making it difficult to gauge its size. "Where am I?" Aldric questioned aloud. Attempting to call upon the System, Aldric realized that nothing happened. He was unable to establish a connection.
Just as Aldric was trying to make sense of his situation, a voice echoed through the room. "Interesting. So the sword has chosen a human this time. That means you must be worthy," the voice declared.
Startled, Aldric responded, "Who are you? And where am I?" His voice filled with alarm.
"Oh, I forgot that you can't see me," the voice replied. Suddenly, a massive fog materialized in front of Aldric, leaving him astounded. "What in the world is happening?" he wondered aloud.
"Do not worry, child. You are not yet worthy to face my wrath," the voice reassured him, and the fog began to dissipate. As the fog cleared, Aldric's eyes widened in disbelief. Standing before him was a dragon, towering over 40 kilometers in height. The dragon exuded an aura of royalty, resembling an emperor rather than a mere king. It was a true dragon, not a dragonborn.
"Where am I?" Aldric inquired, once he had regained his composure.
"This is the consciousness of your sword," the dragon being replied, its voice thunderous enough to deafen anyone.
"Hey, you lizard! Can't you shrink a little?" Aldric retorted, his anger evident.
"How dare an insect like you speak to me in such a manner!" the dragon roared, releasing a wave of killing intent that crushed Aldric under its pressure. Unable to lift his head, Aldric managed to utter, "By that, I mean, could you not make yourself a little smaller to match my size?"
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Taking pity on Aldric, the dragon retracted its aura and began to shrink. Slowly, it transformed until it assumed a human-like appearance. The dragon now stood before Aldric as a human, measuring 6 feet 8 inches in height. Two horns protruded from the sides of its head, its eyes were crystal white, and its hair was a vibrant crimson red.
Aldric, still recovering from the overwhelming pressure, got up from the ground and asked, "Who are you, if I may ask?"
"I am Vorondor Stormscale, the previous emperor of dragons and the former wielder of the Ruinshard Blade," the dragon, now in human form, introduced himself.
Awestruck, Aldric found himself standing before the previous wielder of his sword and the former emperor of dragons. He had thought he had already experienced his fair share of surprises, but now he was in utter shock, frozen like a statue.
"How did I end up here?" Aldric managed to inquire, his jaw still hanging open.
"It seems that you unconsciously activated the Ruinshard Blade's ability, allowing you to see the previous wielder of the blade," Vorondor explained.
Realizing the significance of the encounter, Aldric was filled with a mix of awe and curiosity. However, the tranquility of the moment was abruptly interrupted as the entire place began to shake, pieces of the room crumbling away.
"It seems our time is up. Until we meet again," Vorondor said, and Aldric was forcefully ejected from the blade's consciousness. Opening his eyes, he found himself back in the same spot where he had been meditating. He glanced down at the blade in his lap, pondering the secrets it held.
After a moment, Aldric noticed a group of people watching him intently. He turned his gaze towards them and asked, "Who are you people?"
To be continued...