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Disclaimer: The following has been transcribed by Hannibus the illujanka.
Before :
Hatch from egg. Not remember anything before that. Good care taken of me. Live in dungeon of mom and dad house. Teethe on mithril. Eat chicken and coal. Lots of pats. Love the pats.
Especially on leg with different scales. Dad really good at scratching spot.
One day dad stop visiting. Mom cry a lot. Don’t know why. Only cries when she in room. Don’t think she want Mari-Maid to know she cry.
Slowly, mom stop cry. Dad still not come to visit, don’t like that. Lonely. No other dragons. Mom not play as much. Still give me pats but something missing. Don’t want to eat. Don’t want to play.
Want to see dad.
One day, mom take me out of dungeon. Say we go somewhere else. Curious.
Then, I meet Braid Lady. She big. Bigger than mom. Strong, radiate strength. Not like mom or dad… something different.
They want me in cave. I don’t want to go to cave. They call for big man. Big big man. Wrestle me easily, get me inside cave.
Mom seem upset. Don’t know why at time, but know now she had to. Too big for house. Only going to get bigger. Need social. Need other dragons. Mom wear dragon, but is not dragon.
I accept what is to come.
Year 1:
Braid lady put me in cave with other dragons. Small like me. We fight. We play. Fun.
Sometimes I see older dragons.
Bigger. Stronger. Scarier.
Adventurers come and fight others. Sometimes kill.
Not seen dad in months. Mom not come much either. Busy, maybe. Don’t like it much here. Play with other dragons fun, but not home.
When mom visit I happy. Show her fire I make. Hot, almost melt rocks sometimes. Stretch out wings, flap them. Kick up dust. Get pats those times. Miss those.
Braid Lady send adventurers in sometimes to select other dragons. They take them. Where? I don’t know.
Recognize sounds of fighting in cave. Must be many others in cave. Some dragons, but sound like pain. Crying, unhappy. Sound like metal I used to teethe on. Others very NOT dragon. Don’t know those sounds. Don’t like those sounds.
Braid Lady take good care of me. Check my teeth, make sure they strong. Give me treat sometimes. Still miss dad. Braid lady mention her dad sometime. Promise to get revenge for him. Know she will, someone named Loocin better watch back.
Year 2:
I grow. I get stronger.
Learn to fly. Not much room to fly in cave, but I can.
Fire get hotter. Easily melt rock now if I want.
Other dragons grow too. Playing turn to more fighting. Fighting turn back to playing.
Cycle repeats.
Mom come to visit one day. Tell Braid Lady that Loocin found. Time to fight.
They train together. Mom visit lots that week. Something big must come soon. Never seen mom like this before.
Eventually, training stop. Braid Lady leave for Fally-dore. Trying to get something? Unsure.
Curious. Braid Lady leave cave in charge of Big Man. He… interesting. Challenge dragons to wrestle. Win some, too.
Not me. I win. Learn that day that claws sharp enough to move dirt. Break stones. Very useful for future.
Been hearing things for while. Dragon language. Dragon language but not of dragon… sound like Kin. Not sure how I know this.
It nearby, but can’t see. Listen at all edges of cave. Consider trying to find, but no way out.
Start digging.
Move dirt, melt rocks. Rest when tired. Not sure which way to go. Try up. Spout of white fire as I go. Stone give way to dirt. Voices sound clearer, yet far away. Keep going. Need to know.
Scared as claws breach surface. Scramble out of hole, see people run as I emerge. Feel soft thing hit me.
Turn to look. It sheep. Swipe at it with my paw. Not been to surface in very long.
Can’t hear the voices anymore. Not want to go back to cave, anyway. Cramped. Can’t fly.
But now…
I stretch wings. I take off, feel rush. Never flown like this before. Don’t know if humans see me. Don’t care.
I am free.
Know I have to leave. If I stay Braid Lady put me back in cave.
Can’t go back to mom house. Don’t know where it is. Won’t fit, anyway.
Coast on the winds, glide.
See all sorts of towns. Lots of water. Tiny islands… Find Volcano island. Seems good place to stop.
Land on beach, knock ugly moss man out of way. Consider burning him, but tired.
Then, I smell mom. Not strong, but I smell.
Look for her. Scent stronger by entrance.
Go in. Skeletons walk. No see mom, but scent strong… She not here, but she was… long time ago maybe.
But if mom here, must be safe. I settle.
Not know for how long at time. But know now - new home.
Year 2, Month 1:
New home familiar. Unsure why.
Smells of mom, but faintly.
Bone men outside bed. Noisy.
Weak.
Older dragon used to be here.
Smell.
Angry. Rage burnt into walls.
Not here for long time. As long ago as mom.
Word comes to me. Unknown.
Vek. Failure.
Then another.
Vor. Pathetic.
Kin language. Again.
Fuelled by rage. Do not like.
Want to get away from words.
Leave new home.
Fly again. Wind feels good on mismatched scales.
See humans on nearby island.
Wear funny hats, see people steal candlesticks. Strange.
Spot volcano. Heat seems nice.
Land, stretch legs on soft ground.
Little creatures around.
Brown, with red.
Monkeys.
“Ook!”
I turn head to understand.
“Ook Ook!”
Many movements. Fast.
Cannot understand.
They climb. I do not like.
Stretch wings, take off once more.
One clings to my haunch. Cannot get off.
Head back to home. Dig haunch into sand.
Monkey does not appreciate.
“Ook! Ook! OOK!”
Swipe tail at it, send it towards surf. Lumber back to cave.
Try to chew on bone men for fun. Not last long.
No more bone men.
Hear something bigger.
Much bigger.
Maybe as big as me.
Cannot find.
Sound like infernal speak. Different from Kin.
Spend a while looking for.
Notice white fabric on island. Reminds me of mom and dad.
Upset.
Return to nest.
Sleep, curled up.
Year 2, Month 2:
Take care of ugly moss man on island. Annoying, keep thump thump thumping above cave. No more.
Monkey still here. Think I don’t see, but I do. I pretend not to see.
Better this way.
Learn to fly higher lately. Humans scared. Don’t want humans here.
Only mom.
Ships looking for “Elvarg”. Think I them? Not.
Maybe previous dragon.
Roland new dragon.
Find pasture, free of humans. Food plentiful.
Make game of it. Hunt them like me and other dragons used to play.
Always win. Maybe need more difficulty.
Sometimes sheep bump into leg. Feels like pats.
Not pats, but close. Feels nice.
Find pack while out playing.
Full of red armor. Taste bad.
Good for teeth though.
Take back to home, roll around with armor in snout.
Much better than mithril. Doesn’t break.
Sweep up broken armor with tail. Been collecting.
Scatter it, no good now.
Find new thing. Never seen before.
Ga’al, it called itself. Made of rock.
Not scared of me.
“I’ve seen TzTok-Jad, little old you don’t scare me.” says it.
Snort.
I don’t understand. But it fun.
“I’m exploring for now, but I’ll be back. Hope to see you again!” it squeaked, before wandering back to place I don’t know.
Wandering Ga’al, I think. Strange creature. Mom would like.
Memories of dad mostly faded. Occasional smell remind me, then gone.
Smoke on wind.
“Ook!” monkey say, making itself known. Never seen down here before.
It lay beside me, curling up against scales.
I let stay, for now.
Year 2, Month 3:
Something feel… different.
Woken up by monkey. Very panicked, hiding in tree when I emerge.
Subtle shift. World darkening.
As if crying.
Butterflies at my home. Unusual. Strange.
Check playground. Butterflies there, too.
Trees leak green. Knock one over, green inside.
Somehow feel mom is connected to this.
Zappy energy when touch. Did not like.
Powerful change. Wonder if mom is okay.
Return home, wait for things to get better.
Mistake.
Voices stronger than ever.
“VEK. ROAKE SKEK.”
Failure… something dead.
Year 2, Month 4:
Things not normal.
Humans come to island. Search for “divine energy”.
I chase them away. More come.
Chase them away, too.
Notice new volcano on next island.
Not volcano, but different. Swirling.
Magic. Blue.
“Divine energy”?
Irrelevant. Must protect home.
Chasing not enough. Start hunting people at home.
Eventually, stop coming.
No “energy” here. Leave me alone.
Good. More armor to chew, at least.
Immense power to the East.
Lights up sky at night. Blue and red beam.
Feels as if kin are battling.
Maybe Kin return. Hope they not find me.
Want to look, but too many humans.
Feeling mom involved. Know she can do.
Eventually, beam stop. Over?
Doubtful.
New monkey join island. Came with when I see new volcano.
Monkey excited for new friend. I try play, but new monkey scared.
I leave them for time being.
Instead, I train fire.
Too long since I use. Weakened. Try melting iron gate, barely get it hot enough.
Venture further into cave. Force myself to spit hotter and hotter.
Will take time.
Know I can do.
Year 2, Month 6:
Spent last month training.
Easily hottest fire I make now.
Things peaceful, for a while. Voices stop.
One day, get bad feeling.
Looking at fabric on sand, feel fear for mom.
Mom in trouble.
Don’t know how I know.
Don’t know where she is, but feel like I do.
I don’t wait. Immediately start flying, towards mom.
Faster than I fly before. Low, too low, but don’t care.
Must get to mom.
Gray city zoom underneath me. I hear shouts and screams, but I press on.
City give way to mountain, full of limestone. Getting closer, can feel.
Glide over great river, spit fire entire time. Change heading, more south east.
See giant mounds, six.
Begin circling, unnatural shadows surrounding mounds.
Through darkness… See mom!