Speaker: Duosum
No matter how many days go by I can’t get that princess out of my mind. That woman who was sent to me as a sacrifice. I need to know who she was and why she comforted me. Was her sympathy real?
I agonised for so long and those kobolds never noticed they simply looked on in reverence. But this lower thing looked on in sympathy. Should I feel relief or anger. According to the kobolds she was the third princess of the kingdom of Lea.
But why would they send a princess to die? Was she some kind of psychological attack from the kingdom? Who is she? Her hair was silver.
Maybe if I visit the kingdom of Lea’s capital Archlea I’ll know because a kingdom reflects its rulers right? I’ll know if she was truly a princess and if she was actually a sympathetic person. So I must go.
I get up and walk out of the cold throne room down the stone pathway and watch look out at the kobolds. Who are discussing something they then turn and bow in reverence when they see me. “Oh great Duosum why have you come?” says a dragonwrought kobold who I forget the name of.
“I’m going to leave for a long while. I would like you to keep this place clean and orderly.” I say
“Of course m’lord.”
I spread my wings a tower's length apart. And ready myself to run and jump catching the air in my wings I fly upwards fast towards Archlea. Where the humans and other creatures make their habitat.
It has been a good while since I’ve flown like this. I've been spending most of my time in my castle since it happened. But now I can: feel the wind in my wings, the cold air pushing down, the snow on my back and the creatures down below.
The tundra landscape is beautiful as it is always white and cold. I see large trees, birds also flying, and a hunt, wolves are chasing a mammoth.
They surround and chase the mammoth getting attacks in around it but never being hit by the tusks or legs they are too nimble. Red blood stains the white snow, The mammoth is in its last day alive. The wolves have won.
This is how dragons are killed by weaker creatures. Humanoids with some pack intelligence working smartly as a team to take down a bigger foe. This is how I could die taken by some weaker humans who know what they are doing.
And these humanoids are smart, they are sapient and are able to habitate in this hostile environment. They use heavy clothes, fire, and structures to keep them warm. This is why these creatures are formidable: their intelligence and tenacity. I’ll admit there’s something scary about that.
And would you look at that, a humanoid on the white snow covering it with blood. He has a sword and appears to be dragging it along with him throughout the snow. He doesn’t look like he’s had a good time. He’s beaten bloody and cold.
Should I do something I can’t heal him and there’s no reason to go down. But as I am about to continue my journey I notice something. His hair is as silver as the princesses. It’s as silver as.
I dive down at speeds faster than any speed I’ve reached before. When I am just enough above the ground I spread my wings and spin down stopping my decent causing a massive boom sound to reverberate through the tundra.
And the man immediately notices trying to get up when he can’t he grabs his sword. He holds it up and tries to stand before falling down, unable to stand up. His struggle is fascinating, and sad.
He gets his face out of the snow and yells, “that knight captain why must this happen to me.”
I stand and say nothing as he convulses on the snowy ground. I simply watch him in curiosity. Why does this human still fight even though there’s no hope.
“Well are you going to kill me,” he says. “I’m completely helpless, come on, do it.”
“No,” I say, “you seem on your way.”
He looks up “then what do you want you black-” he pauses, looks at me and then says. “Are you chromatic or metallic?”
I do not respond.
“Well what do you want, tell me.” he says.
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“Your hair,” I say, “it’s silver.”
“Yea, so.”
“Just like that princess.”
“So you're the dragon.” he looks at me with anger “that killed her!” he tries to hold his sword up again but can’t even get off the ground.
“No, she was sent back.”
“What?” Says the man as he raises himself into a sitting position looking down the whole time. “Then this has all been for nothing. They all died for nothing”
I look at him “what’s ‘for nothing.’”
“That damn knight captain, Trying to kill me,” he says, pounding the snow.
The man grows more mysterious and interesting by the second.
But soon the man calms himself and says, “Dragon, can you heal me?”
“No,”
“Then can you be a companion until I fade.” he asks..
I tilt my head. Does this human really want a dragon to be his deathbed companion? I don’t understand humanoids.
“Alright, I’ll stay.” I say
He smiles a desperate smile and laughs. “So what brought you to me.” asks the man.
“I’m on my way to Archlea.” I say.
“Why are you going there, to ransack it.”
I look up to the sky, could I do it? “No, I wouldn’t”
“Then why do you want to go there?”
“I don’t know.” I say.
“Why did you call for a sacrifice?”
“I don’t know.”
He laughs again, “you don’t know? you call for a sacrifice, send her back then go to her kingdom and don’t know why?”
“What’s so funny.”
“I don’t know, it's just absurd.” says the man. “I guess dragons can be complex too.”
Who is this man? He's very strange and he seems to know the princess. He might be important to get information from, but he doesn’t seem to be in a mindset to give it.
“Hey dragon, are you going to just enter the city looking like that?” he asks.
“I’m going to polymorph,” I say.
“Then let me give you some advice in exchange for a favor,” he says.
“What’s the favor?” I ask
“I want you to find someone and kill them.”
“A human?” I say.
“Yes,”
“It should be easy.” I say. “Who”
“I don’t know,” he says.
I tilt my head again not understanding him.
“I don’t know who set me up…” he says. “Didn’t you wonder why when you asked for a noble you got a princess?”
“Yes I did.”
“The reason is because the higher classes hate her.”
“Interesting.” I say
“So when we set off to save her we were betrayed by the knight captain, likely at the direction of some higher noble” he says then looks down. “I’m the only survivor.”
“You want me to kill him?” I ask.
“More than that, I want you to find the person who told him to kill us.” says the man.
“You want me to unravel a conspiracy.”
“Yes, find who set us up and kill them,” he says. “Take my sword, and stab them with it. make ‘prince Eirc sends his regards.’ the last words they hear.”
“I can do that,” I say, “what is the advice, if it is valuable enough I’ll do as you say.”
“Mingle with humans.” says Eric “have fun with people, make friends, and make connections. You will be happier”
The words ring through my head. Making me slightly dizzy. Is this human alright in the head? Is this really what he thinks of as valuable advice? But it’s.
“Strange,” I say.
“What is?” Eric says.
“That’s what my father used to say.”
“Your father must have been a nice man,” he says.
“If your advice is sound I will find and kill that man.”
“Thank you, for everything, and keeping me company on my final day, black silver…” those are his last words.
I spread my wings and fly away taking his sword with me.
When I get to the city I simply retract my wings and begin the polymorph process. Becoming a human. I give myself a large coat with a large fur hood to make it look like I need protection from the cold. I also create a scabbard for the sword.
I approach the guards at the gate. They call me over and ask, “who might you be?” they look at my sword “Are you an adventurer.”
I hesitate then say “yes,”
“How did you get here through the snow?” asks the guard.
“I came with other hu- people and and decided to find some things, so I am coming after them.”
This is troublesome. I should fly directly into the city under camouflage next time.
The guard looks at me suspiciously but seemingly can't do anything simply saying, “Alright what’s your name?”
“Duos”
