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Since I've discovered my lighting magic, life has been nothing but unstable. Not to mention the rising war between the Bronze, Nimbus and Vimir sea.
Just yesterday i saw the Vernir destroying Port Mistral - i tried to intervene, yet the knowledge that there are powerful curse users fighting against me discouraged me. Rather not risk my life protecting a port, even though that could mean Empress Nilah would give me a fat reward, personally, no less.
Whatever, I'm not strong enough to take on a curse user AND his army alone. And I'm not risking my crew.
However how i will risk my crew, is going to the dark sea.
I know- horrid idea, THE dark sea, the place where hundreds, if not thousands of sailors and experienced captains that go missing every year and never return. Not to mention the sea monsters, sirens and dragons lurking there. However, anything that comes from that wretched place is worth a fortune. Even simple black shards are sold for 80 drachma per shard, which is enough to treat a crew of sailors for a meal.
And I'm not like those lousy captains. I'm better than them.
And I'm not going that far. Just the first to second reach. I don't even want to know what horrors lurk deeper.. the atlanteans here are already something a sleep-deprived war soldier might hallucinate.
And i don't force my crew to be outside in the corrosive rain - it's my mission, i just have one man handle the sails in shifts.
But recently, it's been different.
I feel less- i had a wound on my arm after some pirate impaled it. I didn't notice it before one of my horrified deckhands pointed it out and had it bandaged. Or i walked off a broken leg i somehow didn't notice after dropping down from a dark sea island with two sealed chests on my shoulders.
My hypothesis is that the overwhelming magic energy has been numbing my mind.
... If not turning me into an atlantean already.
So i went into the dark sea again. Going deeper than i have even went. My crew doesn't notice how deep we go, i suppose the insanity affects me the fastest.
Drip.. drip.. drip...
The toxic rain taps against my leather jacket and hat. The only things protecting me from losing myself too quickly.
I walk off my ship, and look up at the dragon tower i docked at - a towering monolith of rock, with an adult dragon slumbering on top.
I quickly find the entrance, propelling upwards with my magic.
And then i see it-
A deadly, yet dangerously elegant golden-scaled adult dragon. A massive creature able to swallow me whole in one bite. It's in a deep sleep, allowing me to get close.
But i know i need to defeat this beast. I don't care that they're on the verge of extinction, they give me power.
And that's why i brought some gunpowder barrels with me.
I know I can't best a magic-weilding fire-breathing massive dragon.
So why not cheat? The thing is flying anyways.
So i place around 3 arcane gunpowder barrels next to it, and ignite them with my magic.
The dragon didn't even get a second to wake up, it wails in pain as the explosives rupture its body, tearing it to pieces and spewing blood everywhere.
Perfect.
I come closer to the collapsed dragon, checking if it's dead.
And judging by the stillness of the body and pupils, i am fairly confident that it's dead.
Drip... Drip... Drip...
I start to peel away the loose golden scales from the dragon... Each scale is sold for a whooping 500 drachma! And i am fairly certain that since this is a golden dragon, i can bargain these for 700!
I start collecting the teeth too- teeth from such an adult dragon are bought by the rich, just to flaunt the 'kill' of a dragon.
They should pick up a sword for once.
Drip... Drip... Drip..
I turn my attention to the wing membrane... Those are good for gliders. I carefully cut the thin skin, folding it into my bags.
And last but not least... The blood.
I heard rumors that dragon blood gives humans a strength boost.
If one bathes in it...
It is a so-called dragon blood ritual
But how much blood is required?
Drip... Drip... Drip...
Tentatively, i dip my finger in the pool of blood which accumulated under the dead dragon's body, and lick it off...
... It tastes... Metallic, it's blood, obviously. But there's an undeniable ring of magic energy. Powerful magic energy.
Well- that wasn't exactly 'bathing' per se.
Then, i sit down on the ground, and try to slather the blood over my thighs...
Drip... Drip... Drip..
It burns. An intoxicating, warm burn that penetrates through the thick leather of my pants.
Without much thought, i cup both of my hands together, scooping up more blood, and raising my hands over my head, to let it run over my body.
It burned.. it burned... Despite my protective leather, it poured underneath and stained into the soft fabric of my shirt.
I felt the power seeping inside my bones, my very being changed by my body consuming the blood. I felt like i have drunk several insanity potions and yet I've drunken a whole barrel of rum, ale and whiskey mixed into one.
I collapsed into the blood pool, unconscious.
Drip... Drip... Drip...
I woke up on my ship. It seems my crew has gotten worried enough to climb the dragon tower and drag me down to my ship.
I check my body underneath the blanket- bandages all over my body.
I suppose the burn wasn't just warm and comforting.
The burn still stung, but i didn't feel much of it.
Oh well. I suppose no more bathing in Dragon blood.
But something felt.. off with my head.
I reach my bandaged hand up, only to noice my nails have sharpened into sharp, clear claws.
And instead of my ears, there are fish fins..
Of course.
It seems when i passed out, the dark sea rain has seeped under my clothes.
.... I am officially partly atlantean.
Fuck my stupid landlubber life.