3. Dragon

Dragon


  • Written with permission from DM Skippy

    Emergence

    I awoke, and the world gathered focus.

    I was confused at first. How did I get here? Where was I? Humans, dwarves and elves scattered in terrified shrieks below me. I was sitting above some village, when suddenly the name came to me. Norwick. I looked upon the town of Norwick.

    I was not in chains, but had no recollection of how I came to be here. Even my own name was hidden in the murky depths of my memory.

    Trees. Trees were important. Had I come from the Rawlins? Yes, the Rawlins. It was a name I could recall. The name that humans had called the forest to my south for ages.

    What had I done in the Rawlins that was so important? I recalled a great tree and a human. The human had…

    …tricked me. Yes, the human had tricked me. I remembered that much. His face burst from the depths to the surface. His face pretty, even to my eyes.

    Now the village of Norwick was empty, save for a few guards who were bringing a ballista. I laughed inwardly. The ballista could no more hurt me than their spears. I would slay them all, lay waste to the village, and dine on their flesh.

    …but not today. For some reason, I felt sorrow at the thought of killing them. They had helped me in the Rawlins, hadn’t they? I sighed with exasperation. I remembered so little.

    In a leap I vaulted into the sky. I would avoid this fight, and thus having to kill the people of Norwick . I must find shelter. I didn’t recall my home, or my people. Surely this was the trick of some great wizard, and I seemed to recall a city up north. Perhaps the wizard lived there.

    The lands rolled beneath me. They were familiar in some odd way … but not. I must have flown over these lands at some point because I recall seeing them from these skies recently. I paralleled the river and flew north, and in time the city appeared through the mists. Cities can mount considerable defenses, and if the wizard who tricked me was here, I would have to be cautious.

    Within moments, I spied a cave to the east of the city. Close enough to watch it, but hidden from prying eyes in a swamp. There, that would be my new home for now.


  • Queen

    I am Rika. I have claimed myself Firstborn of the North, Daughter of the Winds, and now Queen of Narfell. I will rule my subjects well. I will gather a hoard befitting my station. The gold, gems and magic will sing to me, and I will be content.

    Were it that simple! I was visited by an envoy from the human city of Peltarch who made a good argument for my protection of it. I have agreed for now because it suits me. The human made sense. If the city were to fall, my tribute would cease. Surely a ruler must protect her people.

    Which people? Which people are mine?

    That is the burning question. Narfell is very large. If I am to gather a hoard worthy of my station, I must make it known throughout this land that I am now queen. My people will not fight each other, for such leads to destruction of the kingdom. If they wish to fight, let them expand the borders of my kingdom so that it grows, along with my tribute.

    Yes, that’s what must happen. All this petty fighting must stop. The people of my kingdom will work to be prosperous, provide me with tribute, and expand its borders. The people will grow mighty under my rule.

    Slihr has spoken of many races. Humans, Gnolls, Orcs, Kuo Toa and all the Goblin races. There are other human cities she said. Norwick which I know well of and Oscura underground. The kobolds have been subjugated. The humans of Peltarch pay me tribute, but only because they have no other choice. Soon however they will see that I not only bring peace to this land but prosperity. Namely mine, but theirs as a reflection of my rule.

    I must make myself known. Those who fail to give tribute will be wiped clean from my kingdom. Those who do will prosper under it.

    Which people should I subjugate next?

    I stare up into the sky when suddenly, it begins to rain. The torrent of water washes over me from the north yet south, the sun still shines. The water reflects off my scales and floods the swamp around me with rainbow of colors. The symbolism is not lost on me.

    My wings spread in jubilation, and I close my eyes in ecstasy. For a while, I am lost in the moment but something troubles me.

    The rain. It’s important to me.

    Why?


  • Tribute

    “THAT, was remarkably stupid”

    I had watched with horror as Rika had called forth the lead hunter, and without so much as a reprimand had simply devoured him whole. She glared upon the trembling masses of her subjects with venom and anger.

    “Second hunter! Come forward!”

    Our second hunter Chakka came forward, his legs almost buckling as he approached her. To his credit he managed to straighten himself up before what he thought was his inevitable demise.

    “You are now first hunter”, she said. “Do not lead my subject into combat against a foe they cannot hope to defeat. Understood?”
    Chakka’s shoulders sagged with relief when he realized when he would not be eaten. He bowed, “As your majesty commands”.

    Rikka looked at the rest of us, her eyes suddenly frowning with great sadness. “Your former first hunter caused the deaths of 43 of your kin. Your new first hunter, is much wiser. Am I right?”, she turned to face him. Chakka’s eyes grew wide.

    “Oh yes your majesty! Much wiser, most truly!”

    “Good”, she said, her eyes smiling again. “Chaka, you are dismissed. Hunt well”

    Chaka backed away while smartly facing her. Then she turned her gaze to me. I was scarcely able to breathe.

    “Slihr, mate of Jik and tribal diviner. You alone understood my native tongue. You will teach me all there is to know about my new kingdom, these lands and my subjects. If you perform well, you will receive an artifact from my hoard suitable for your new position.”

    I bowed as low as I could while maintaining my balance, “Yes your majesty”. I glanced over to the Shaman, who looked at me with both jealousy and hatred. There would be trouble there in the future I imagined, but with Rika’s favor, how could anything go wrong?

    Rika had learned our tongue in a matter of days. At that rate, what I had to teach her about her people wouldn’t take more than a couple more. I worried about continuing my usefulness to her but as long as I didn’t do anything remarkably stupid our future looked brighter than it had in our history. The no-scales wouldn’t raid us with her presence in our caverns. Well, her caverns now.

    My train of thought was interrupted as Rika turned to leave. “Now”, she said, “It is time I go demand tribute properly”


  • Kobolds

    Slihr looked at her crystals. The divination spell weaved its way through them, and fractured pictures appeared in them. Her mate Jik looked in curiously while he sharpened his weapons.

    “Anything interesting today?”, he asked with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

    “Whatever it is, it’s very pretty, and full of colors”, she responded. “I feel like a great change is coming, but I can’t put my finger on it. It feels like we are in grave danger, but with promise behind it. All the while the future is full of colors.”

    She scattered the crystals before her, and her mate stroked her back. “Don’t worry”, he said. “You’ll get better with this over time. Soon you will be seeing the future clearly, and we will know just how to ambush those pesky no-scales when they decide to raid our home again”.

    Jik smiled in reassurance at Slihr, and they touched noses briefly.

    …and then the ground shook, and the alarm gong sounded.

    “HIDE!”, a soldier shouted as he ran by.

    “Slihr, stay here!”, Jik looked at her in earnest, and then ran out into the hall. Her den mates were running back and forth. There was a lot of shouting. Then a lot of soldiers ran one direction, followed by one of their shamans. Slihr knew she should stay put, but like most diviners of her ilk, she was curious. She got up and followed.

    Within moments they had reached the main hall, but the soldiers hadn’t quite rounded the corner. “What is it?”, she whispered loudly.
    One of the soldiers turned and looked at her. His eyes were full of terror.
    “Dragon!”, he whispered loudly back.

    The hallways however, did not get filled with fire, clouds of poison, or acid. Instead, there were voices. He recognized the voice of the Shaman. The other was the dragon. It was obvious to her that their Shaman did not understand what the dragon was saying.

    …But Slihr did. With curiosity overriding common sense, Slihr stepped around the corner.

    In the main hallway was a dragon born of mushroom induced dreams. Its scales shifted iridescently through the colors of the rainbow as it moved. Its eyes were bright, and the colors within shifted too as it turned it’s great head. Before it were the remnants of what few soldiers had faced it, now nothing more than smears on the cavern floor. Slihr cleared her through and clenched her trembling hands.

    “What do you desire of us, oh great and magnificent dragon”, she said in the dragon’s tongue.

    The Shaman turned to her in surprise, and the dragon almost smiled if it could. Its eyes twinkled and bore on Slihr. She felt pinned by its gaze.
    “I desire a home little creature, and I have chosen this cave. You may move, serve or die. It is your choice”, the dragon rumbled.

    She looked at the Shaman and translated. The Shaman came over and whispered in Slihr’s ear. She caught her mate’s look from across the cavern, and she had never seen a more terrified but proud look in his eyes.
    “Our Shaman asks that if we serve, if you will protect us from the no-scales who raid this cave and kill our kind. If you will protect us, we will serve. We will bring you gems and coin, and honor your magnificence. If not, we choose to leave”

    The dragon seemed to ponder this for a time, and then nodded. “All who are in my home will be protected. Serve me well, and you will be well protected”

    She translated for the Shaman again, who again whispered in her ear. Slihr turned back to the dragon. “We agree. We shall serve you well and do as you ask. My Shaman asks what you would like to be called”

    The dragon seemed troubled by this request, but after a moment of thought rumbled, “Rika. You may call me Rika”