Darganau: Autobiography of a Dragon

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

Part I:  “I Am Born”

          I hear them coming.  I am in great fear, but what can I do?

          The pain wracks my body again; long agony.  A second baby’s head erupts from my canal.  Lords, how I wish it were true that all of our kind lay eggs!  This one is a girl, I see, as she slides onto the stone next to her brother.  I have tears in my eyes, but they are neither from the pain, nor from the wonders of birth.

          The enemy is at the entrance to my cavern.

          I strain, though I do not know if it is a third wanting to be born, or the afterbirth.  Either way, it is all too moot.  I can hear them approach, believing they are sneaking up on me.  Easy, it would be, to dispatch these fools, if not… if not.

          Helpless.  I am exhausted beyond reason.  Twins, I know, are unusual for my kind.  The effort has robbed me of energy.  So it is, that helplessly, I listen as the enemy positions themselves for the strike.  I try to summon my bile, but my jowls remain dry.   I am lost.  Woe, not only to me, but my newborn children!

          They strike!

          Oh, the pain!  Their swords run deep into my flesh!  The elf’s magic blinds me!  An arrow shaft reaches near to my heart!

          Soon I lie still – not faking, but dying. My eyes are closed, though I am still somewhat conscious of what is happening about me.

          “She’s given birth to more of these monsters!”

          They are not monsters, I want to tell the human, they are my children.  My babies.

          “Kill them!” I will await you in hell, dwarf!

          As I listen to them hacking at my babies, again I want to cry… but that power has left me.   Mercifully, I feel the darkness overcome me.

          “Well, her hoard looks healthy, at least,” the dwarf comments.

          “Yeah; we’ll come out of this pretty well!” the human says.  “Easier than we thought it would be.  Lucky we found her while she was in labor!”

          “Not so lucky for her!” the dwarf says, then guffaws in laughter.  “Holy crap!  Look!”

          The human looks to where the dwarf is looking.  “I’ll be damned!  There’s another bugger coming out!”

          All three go to watch the oddity, as a third baby dragon slips out of its dead mother’s birth canal.

          “I’ll take care of this one,” the human says, raising his sword and stepping forward.

          “Hold, Brenner,” the elf tells him, taking hold of the human’s shoulder.

          “What, you want one of these demons to live to terrorize another village later?”  The human sounds angry.

          The elf shakes his head.  “Not to terrorize… to serve.”

          Brenner looks at the elf in surprise.  “you want to keep it?” he asks incredulously.

          The elf nods his head.

          “Laurel,” the dwarf asks, “are you sure about this?”

          Again the elf nods his head.  “I understand the difficulties, Ming, my dwarf friend.  I believe I can overcome them.”

          The dwarf seems to consider this a bit, but finally nods his hairy head.  “If anyone can successfully train a dragon, it will be you, friend Laurel.”

          Shaking his head in disbelief, Brenner holsters his sword.  “So… how are we going to transport all this treasure?”




Friday, August 12, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

Part II:  When I Was Young

            My first memories are dominated by Laurel, the elf mage who raised me through those early years.

          I especially recall a game, ‘Hop and Squat’.  The game was exactly what it sounds like:  One hops forward, then squats and steps each foot forward once, then repeat.  I know now that Laurel was teaching me coordination; but back then I was delighted by the game!  We would laugh gaily at each other as we made our way forward in such a silly manner!

          There were other games, too.  Some taught me coordination, others helped improve my reaction time, and some were precursors to hunting.  The latter could have given his friends a clue to what he had in mind for me –  if any had ever bothered to visit him.  After all, if you’re raising a dragon to be beneficent, why would hunting be a necessary skill?

          Laurel was a highly intelligent individual.  I can see now how happy he’d been to discover my own intellect, even at an early age, was formidable as well.  If I had known what he had planned for me, I believe I would have been a more understanding student.

Yes, I suppose I was often a handful:  stubborn, moody, prone to tantrums.  Laurel seemed to accept it all as part and parcel to what I, after all, was.  And am.

I am a dragon.  A member of one of the larger sub-races.  I am a fire breather. 

And I am a monster.

I’ve always been over-sized.  Laure admitted he’d spared my life because he could see that I was larger than most, coming out of the womb.  Under Laurel’s training (and the excellent meats he fed me), I grew quick, strong and tall (long?).  By the time I reached my teen years, I was already larger than some of my race.  (I have often wondered if Laurel added some special ingredient to the eat he fed me, but he claimed not.)

And yes, Laurel explained to me the circumstances of my birth.  I blame neither him nor his companions, and have never held a grudge against any of them.

In truth, my mother is to blame for her own demise.  Not only did she stupidly terrorize a single village, but she chose a lair in close proximity to it! 

Was it arrogance?  Or did she underestimate the humans?  Is the fact I had Laurel to instruct me that I did not suffer the misconception that the Four Races were not a threat?  Would I, too, have suffered my mother’s fate, had Laurel not taught me tactics?

In any event, what I recall of my early life is happiness, hard play, good food – and the constant attention of the elf-mage Laurel.  I suppose I thought of Laurel as my father.

Had he thought of me as his son, perhaps he would still be alive.



Monday, August 15, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

                             Part III:  I Lose My Mentor

            When I turned 20 years of age, Laurel told me that Eves considered themselves physically mature at 20, but not emotionally mature until they reached 100 years of age.

             Being young, I of course considered myself mature both physically and emotionally.  But Laurel said he didn’t think so.  He noted I was barely forty-foot long, head to tail tip, and though my growth rate had slowed, I was still growing.  He said I still had a lot of growing to do.  Both physically and emotionally.

            I didn’t like hearing that of course, but the elf had been good to me, so I endured.

            The day after my 20^th birthday, my real training began.  Laurel began to teach me tactics, both ground and aerial.  With Laurel astride my back, I learned flying maneuvers that were more than instinct.  Quick dives, deep-angled banking.  Wing buffeting.  Feints and Attacks on armed combatants.

            Turns out, breathing flame while in flight isn’t so easy, either.  Timing was difficultly learned.

     

            I was finally allowed to hunt (rather than be brought my meat), but only with Laurel present.  And a hunt was not just a hunt.

            Using his magic, Laurel would create opponents riding the beasts we hunted.  Illusions they were, but if the illusion successful struck me, I was punished.  Said punishment usually entailed Laurel’s patented pain spell:  Agonizing and tortuous, it felt like one’s bowels were being twisted and squeezed from within.  And he would inevitably tell me how much worse it might be, if an enemy had actually struck me.

It was almost a good enough explanation for me to forgive him.  And I tried to forgive him, I swear.

My training went on for the next eight decades.  Under Laurel’s supervision, I hunted bear.  I hunted horses.  I even learned to pluck mountain lions from the sides of mountains.  I strafed empty fields with my fire.  Fields filled with cattle.  An abandoned village, not far off the mountain we resided in all this time.  These activities I enjoyed, though I continued to feel I should be allowed to go out on my own.

On my 100^th birthday, Laurel gave me a present:  A Ring.  It was sized for humans.  I thought it quite odd.  But it was gold.  And I immediately fell in love with this metal!  Laurel told me to put it on.  I thought that a daft idea.  But, this was Laurel.  So, despite my doubts, I attempted to put on this size 12 ring onto one of my size 120 claws.

I was amazed.  Though I didn’t actually see the ring grow it was suddenly on the claw!  It was a perfect fit!

“This ring will help you overcome your most dangerous weakness,” he told me.

Ice!  He didn’t have to say it.  He had long ago demonstrated my vulnerability to an ice attack.  I still have a scar on my breast from where his ice shards spell cut and burned me.

“We are going on a long trip tonight,” he next informed me.  “At the end of our journey, we will rest a day in a place I have prepared.  The following day, you will hunt a new enemy.  If successful, you will feast on the most succulent meat you have yet tasted!”

I was intrigued.  And excited.

At dusk, Laurel seated himself on my back just behind the neck, and we soared into the sky.  We traveled far, indeed.  Many times over the farthest south we’d ever gone.  He guided me to a location near the Lleola River.  We slept about four hours.  Laurel then woke me, and instructed me on my evening’s duty.

I was even more excited, then!

By morning, the village of Hillbrook was in flames.  I’d had my fill of human meat; and yes, it was as delicious as Laurel said it would be!

Ah, the glory of listening to the screams of those people!  They feared me!  By the gods, that was a heady feeling!  For the first time in my life, I had felt powerful.  And that feeling was heightened by the fact I’d been allowed to do it on my own!  You may never understand how… empowered that night made me feel.

I know Laurel didn’t understand.

For the next two weeks, Laurel took me up river, destroying human settlements, one every other night.  Every village I killed left me in ecstasy.  For the first time in my life, I felt as though I had an actual purpose.  And for the first time in a long time, I was enjoying myself.

“So you like human meat?” Laurel asked me that night, the end of our second week of terrorizing and killing humans.  He was seated before his campfire, having just finished his dinner, and drinking a cup of jocca. 

I had found a comfortable spot between two huge evergreens.  “I do,” I answered simply.

            “Good.  We’ve one more village, then you’ll have your first big test!”

            “Test?”

            Darganau, I’m going to tell you a story.”

            Sensing the importance of the moment, I lowered my snout closer and paid extra attention.

            “Almost two centuries ago, a human wizard named Mentâr took something of mine:  A book.  It was no ordinary book, but one that held powerful magic.  It was pure thievery, Darganau, old friend!  Just pure thievery.  He’d gathered others to join him in an assault on my stronghold in Granger Moor.  I was away when he perpetrated this raid.  They took much more of my treasures, but I could have forgiven them all of that – save the book.

         
            “The book is long gone now, but my wrath has not subsided.  Darganau, in three days, you will exact my revenge.
          
            “All I have taught you, you shall need.  For, you and I will be attacking a fortified city.  The city my mortal enemy founded himself, and so vainly named, Mentária!”
          
            I could only blink and stare.  This is why he spared my life a century ago?  Revenge?  Were there no other feelings involved?  He murdered my mother, trained me for a century… for revenge?  I truly did not know what I thought about this.  I felt… numb.

            A few hours later, we were readying for our last village raid.  These villages had, indeed, whetted my appetite for bloodshed, and I did want more.  But they had offered little resistance.  A few bow shots, thrown items – but nothing that had truly threatened me.  I was more than a little apprehensive of what kind of defenses a city might have to offer.

        
            Laurel had, however, assured me we would go over our plan of attack.  We would have a full day to plan, after all. That placated me, and I’d allowed him to manipulate my furor for the night’s mayhem.

           But in the middle of one of Laurel’s inspiring speeches, my nose twitched.

“Someone comes!”

This stopped his speaking instantly.  He murmured a spell and listened himself.  “They’ve bypassed my security spells!”

“Three humans, an elf… and I believe a dwarf?” I informed him.  I was proud of my nose.  Still am.  But back then, although mostly accurate, that sense didn’t have the range it does now.  I’d noticed them too late.

Four of them burst from the brush.  The elf stopped quickly, and shot his bow. I watched it travel, as if in slow motion, to my horror, it went to Laurel’s chest!

And it bounced harmlessly away, the mere moment before it should have struck him!  Except in my training, I’d never seen Laurel in combat, so I hadn’t known of this defense, which he must have disabled when we’d had our mock battles.

I had no time to consider it though, for two of them were on me!    Struck out with a sweep of my tail.  One jumped it, but the fool in heavy armor I tripped.  Acting quickly and without mercy, I quickly stomped on the fallen.  The other swung a long sword, which sliced the flesh above my knee.  But I was in full combat mode:  The pain would have to wait.  I slipped a little stepping out of the gore I’d created stomping on the iron-clad fool, but I was still able to parry the other’s next blow with my scaled forearm.

The elf fired twice more, these times aiming for me.  One bounced off the scales of my upper hide, the other burying in the flesh of my underbody.  Still, that was little more than a bee sting to me.  The swordsman struck again.  I again blocked the blow, but this time the blade dug into my flesh.  The pain was instant, and I bellowed loudly, as my anger flared.

I felt my bile rise; but I could not immediately see Laurel, so held back sending out my flame.  Me and the warrior danced in combat, as the archer continued to pelt me, some of the arrows finding their mark.

The angrier I got (I realize now) the sloppier my moves become. But I am a huge creature, and both swordsman and bowman were becoming weary, and were unable to take full advantage of my inexperience.

An arrow shaft dug deep into my chest.  I reared up, roaring my frustration.  To my surprise, the warrior paled, and fell back.  His arms, carrying sword and shield, drooped.  I did not know why he reacted thus, but I took quick advantage of it, dipping quickly, and closed my jaws over the man’s torso.  I bit down hard, rearing back up with his bleeding form in my mouth.  I threw my head to and fro – and the body broke in half, the lower part slamming hard against one of the huge evergreens I’d been resting between.  Instinctively, I swallowed the other half of the corpse. 

With a snarl, I turned on the elf – and was startled to see a dwarf and another human, standing with the elf.  Laurel was there also, his body floating about two feet off the ground.  He was obviously in pain.  The dwarf was holding a bladed polearm, the tip of the blade under Laurel’s chin. 

The human held his hands forward, toward Laurel.  He was obviously a wizard, holding my Mentor trapped in a pain spell.  The bowman had an arrow notched, and pointing toward me.

Never had my anger been stoked so completely!  I could barely hold back the bile, now.  My whole body ached to burn them all, then rip their remains apart, for their offences against myself and Laurel.  I could feel my control slipping.

“Unless you want me to give Farnor here,” the wizard spoke, indicating the dwarf to be this Farnor, “permission to kill your Master, I would suggest you calm yourself, and surrender.

Master?

“Surrender yourself, and I will release your Master!”

I tried to wrap my mind around what the human was saying.  It seemed to me. I was being asked to surrender my life, in order to save my… Master!

I looked at Laurel, who was looking back at me, fighting the pain.  He was mouthing something.  I tried to focus; to understand what he was saying.

The wizard spoke again.  “Surely, you would give yourself over, in order to save your Master?”

I suddenly comprehended what Laurel was mouthing to me.  His orders.

Do it!

My mind cleared.  The anger took complete, and coherent, control.

Through slitted eyes full of hate, I stared down this human wizard.  I spoke with a voice full of the confidence that had, until that very moment, evaded me.

“I HAVE NO MASTER!”

With that, I let loose my bile.  It joined with the active agent in my saliva as it left my mouth.  Fire roiled forth; a massive cloud of heat and fire to rival lava itself!

I saw surprise in both wizards’ eyes, and fear in the dwarf’s and bowman’s, before all four were consumed in the Fiery Tempest That Is My Birthright!

My Mentor died with the others.  But I was reborn that day. 

AND MY NAME IS DARGANAU.



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

                             Part IV:  The Early Years

            After Laurel’s death, I went back to our cave, which was located in the Blue Mountains. I did not attack that last village, and I most certainly didn’t attack Mentária.  I had no doubt that the latter would have ended in my demise.  What’s worse, I am also sure Laurel knew it.
         
            All Laurel wanted was for me to wreak as much havoc as I could.  Sure, I’d have burned a good portion of the city, and scores would have died; but sooner or later, the city’s heroes would have shown up.  I also imagined catapults and spear launchers to contend with!

            Laurel had meant me to die.  Or at least he didn’t care if I died.

         
            That one fact made me rethink my life.  And thinking made me realize that I was the most important thing in my life!  As I sat brooding in that cave, I also knew I had to learn more.  And that made me remember Laurel’s books.
          
            Yeah, he kept a few large tomes, and a few smaller ones.  I knew where he hid them, and the code word to reveal them.  Also the code word with which to safely open his largest tome, which I was certain was his spellbook.  With hearing like mine, he couldn’t have hidden them from me.  I had hitherto respected his privacy, but no more.  With a couple of the smaller toes, Laurel had taught me to read.  I wasn’t good at it… but I’d get better.
           
            The first tome I opened was titled, The Dragons.  It was time I learned a bit more about myself, and my true capabilities.
           
            Meanwhile, I hunted on my own.  I stayed away from the herds of cattle, lest they were watched or owned, but there were plenty of wild horses, deer and bear near enough.  I continued to practice my flight maneuvers, working hard to perfect and improve on all Laurel had taught me.  I flew at night, so I wasn’t spotted by humans.  I didn’t want to have to deal with pesky dragon hunters, right at the moment.
           
            After a while, I had gotten into a life rhythm.  I felt things were good.  I was learning a lot, and getting stronger.  And after a few months, I realized my body was still growing as well.  I think it had even accelerated in its growth.  Perhaps to go along with how fast my mind was growing.  Then there was the inevitable interruption.
           
            I smelled him long before I saw him.  I heard him when he’d reached the lower shelf, an outcropping about sixty feet below the cave opening.  He was climbing the stairs that were etched into the mountain side, from the lower hills, right to the cave.  It was a dwarf.
           
            Laurel told me the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, though not our friends, had agreed to leave us in peace.  Besides, one lone dwarf posed me little threat.  I awaited him, in full view, lest I frighten him by sudden appearance.
           
            “Come in, friend,” I invited, as he reached the entrance.  The dwarf jumped I surprise, but calmed, and entered.
           
            “Mister. Laurel, sir?”
          
            “I am afraid Mr. Laurel no longer resides here,” I explained.

            To his credit, although he paled, he stood firm.  “Ah.  Well… Mister Dragon.  I have been assigned the duty to come and address your arears.”
           
            I raised an eyebrow (actually a fold of skin above my eyes tha /I can manipulate like a human does their eyebrow).  “My what?”
           
            “You see, Sir Dragon, your Maste and us dwarves had an agreement.”
           
            My eye slitted.  “My Master and you had an agreement?  Of what sorts?”

            “Well, Sir, the agreement was that Mr. Laurel would deliver a quarterly stipend, and we would allow him use of these caves, and keep away… er, leave you both alone.”

            “A stipend?”

            “Aye.” The dwarf nodded his head inanely, several ties.  “In gold.  So you see, Sir, the stipend has not been paid, either this quarter or last.  And the Council, well, sir…”

               I raised my brow again.  “And you are here to evict me?”

            “Well, Sir Dragon… I mean… we would accept payment from yourself, of course!”

            His fear was entertaining, but the situation was insulting.

            “Alas, I am afraid I am without funds.”  I gave an audible sigh.  “I suppose I will have to leave, then?”

            The dwarf only barely kept his glee in check.  “Well. Sir, of course we understand the need for you to find other quarters.  We are more than happy to give you time…”

            “Oh, do not worry yourselves over little old me!”  I lowered my head and stretched it forth closer to him. “I promise, I will leave at once.  I need time only to gather a few items.”

            “I… I much appreciate your understanding, Mr. Dragon!”  His smile infuriated me. I kept that out of my face, though.

            “Of course, I will need a snack – energy for the road, you see.”  I quickly snapped my jaws over the dwarf, my teeth burying into the startled fool’s waist.  I pulled him up quick, tossed him up, opened my mouth wide, and received my snack.

            He was a bit stringy, but not bad tasting.

            I gathered only two books:  the dragon tomb and Laurel’s spellbook.  I had a few trinkets of my own, and there was the small chest in which Laurel kept his gold.  All these I put into a larger chest Laurel kept, also magically concealed from sight.  As I put each item within, I was not totally surprised to see them disappear from view.  I was anxious to see what else might be inside, but I resisted the urge to check it out, just then.  There was an iron chain connected to each handle on the chest.  I put the chest over my neck via the chain.  I was a bit disappointed to notice no change in size, like the ring; I was sure this was how Laurel carried it!  But it was not heavy, so I was fine with it.

            I looked around one more at the cave, where I had spent my first century of life.  I knew I would miss it.  Hell, I actually missed Laurel!  I gave an honest sigh this time, and went out to the landing in front of the cave.  I took in a deep breath.  And leapt.

            I flew high.  There were few clouds that day, so I needed to get high up, to avoid being spotted.  Laurel’s training was, at least, wise.  I was off to find new quarters, and a new life.  I chose southward – though that proved to have been the longest path I could have taken!

Friday, August 19, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

                             Part V:  The Early Years, Part 2

          There were two things the day I flew south from my and Laurels cave that day that I didn’t know:  One was that this continent was very large, and it would be quite a while before I came to the southern sea.  The other was that there were no mountains south of the Blue Mountains range (save a range of shorter ones surrounding a small desert quite near the southern sea – but who’d want to live there?).

            The first day on my journey was tough.  Emotionally, that is.  It was all hitting me.  I had, after all, lived in the same place for a full century!  And Laurel had always been beside me.  His absence was like a sudden void in my head and heart.

            And I had to come to terms with the fact that I was the Creator of that void.  I had killed my life-long companion.  He might have considered me no more than a tool of his revenge all that time, but I had considered him not only a tutor, but also a friend.

            Or more.

            But that was my mistake.  One I determined never to make again. 

            After flying the entire day, I finally landed in an open plain, with little more than a few copses of trees.  I’d seldom flew so long.  I hadn’t been this tired before except a few times Laurel had worked me extremely hard.  I was very tired, and very hungry.  After finding a spot between two copses to lay down, I took in a deep breath, through the nostrils.  I detected a human village, not so very far south.  There were also some cattle near the village.

            It was a hard decision – that human meat smelled delicious! – but I decided to avoid any trouble, and take only a couple of cows.  So after about an hour’s rest, I took to the air again, for the short trip to the pastures filled with food.

            I spotted three herds, actually, all in fields a bit outside the village.  I chose the larger herd.  From a good way up, I chose my target – a good sized bull.  I flew as silently as I could, as Laurel had taught me.  I slowly spiraled down.  Then, quick as lightning, I banked and charged!

            The herd scrambled, fleeing in all directions.  They brayed in fear.  I kept my bull in sight, extended my claws, and… bam! I had him!  With my claws dug in, I opened my wings wide, caught the wind and rose back into the sky.  I flew in an arc to a spot a good way from the herd.  I landed dropped the bull and made sure he was dead.  Then, with a running start, I took off again.  I wanted one ore – a larger heifer, this time. 

            The herd was still spooked, which would make it a bit more difficult.  Good.  I liked some challenge.  I chose my cow, and went after her.  She was a good runner, but I was soon right on her tail!  I stretched my talons…

            An arrow buried itself into my soft underbelly!  What the hell?

            I rose swiftly, as a second arrow bounced off the scales on my back right leg.  I searched the area, and quickly spotted them – two humans with bows!

            I was incensed!  Hadn’t I graciously avoided the village, choosing instead the simple, unintelligent cows?  And hadn’t I decided to only take two?  Their ungracious action angered me terribly!  I dipped again and screamed my fury.

            The two fools dropped their bows and two off running.  I had learned, from the dragon tome, that I possessed the ability to emit an aura of fear, that would send most creatures into an apoplexy of horror!  I had used it on purpose, this time.

            Despite their terror-enhanced speed, they were no match for me!  I got dangerously low… timing my attack… aha!  I successfully grabbed one in my claw, and one in my teeth!  I spread the wings for lift and rose quick and steep.  I sped back to where I’d dropped the bull. 

            I spat out the one and dropped the other as I closed I on the ground to land.  Once more, I screamed my righteous fury at these ingrates!  Only one heard me; I fear the one I’d held in my teeth was already dead.  I consumed the other first, not bothering to kill him first.

Neither my appetite nor my anger was sated by this meager meal.  I could not understand how these ingrates couldn’t see that I’d been so gracious to them and their village!  But if that is the way they wanted it, I wouldn’t spare their village!

I spent the rest of the evening razing the village.  My flame burned homes, men, women and children.  I feasted ‘til I was nearly bloated!  I felt the angst that had plagued me since I’d killed Laurel begin to abate.  By the end of the evening, I was enjoying my task – even laughing out loud, as I chased and slew stragglers and runners, then came back to ensure not a single building remained standing!

My work complete, I flew back to where I’d left my bull.  I picked him up and went back to the spot I’d chosen to take my rest.  I lay down, my body again worn out, but my soul, for the first time in a long while, joyfully sated.

I dreamed of the attack as I slept the day away, waking late to a meal of bull meat.

This is what I’d been born to do!  This is what made me happy!

I reveled in this knew-found knowledge in the weeks ahead.  I did not fail to find more villages along my way, razing each of them as I screamed my pleasure to the gods!  I feasted on my prey to sustain my energy.   Oh, how joyous it all was!  I prayed it would never end!

Monday, August 22, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

                       Part VI:  Unexpected Company

           As I continued south, continuing my joyous new pastime of razing villages and frightening folk, I came to a stop in my journey that opened my eyes to other possibilities.

            I had come to rest in a clearing within a small, but thick, forest.  I sensed nothing large enough to pose a threat, so I took my rest there.  I slept deeply.  Deeper than I should have.  I suppose I had quite worn myself out, and needed a break from razing villages!

            Somewhere in my dream world, I started to smell food.  Freshly killed meats.  In my dream, I started moving toward that wonderful smell – but I was actually rising from deep sleep to wakefulness.  I opened my eyes.

            There, in front of me, was a rather large pile of carcasses, laying only about fifteen feet in front of me.  I sensed six deer, two boar hogs, and some sort of large cat.  But, though this was a welcome meal, indeed, it was the dozen, living creatures that had me wary.

            They had formed an arc in front of me, about ten feet beyond the carcass pile at the very edge of the clearing.  They were on their knees, arms outstretched with palm touching the ground – and apparently their faces, too!  And they were humming.  Chanting, I should say, but very low voiced, and in a tongue I was unfamiliar with.

             These creatures were no more than four feet in height, and had wiry, black hairs over most of their bodies. Their ears were sharply pointed, but small.  A couple were wearing a sort of mail armor, and another two leathers.  The rest wore light clothing, made of some sort of cloth.  None seemed to be armed.

            All I could do was blink in confusion.  I had been caught with my proverbial pants down, but rather than being slayed, I apparently ad worshippers!


            “Kelor!” This was whispered by one of the kneeling creatures, and it didn’t seem to be addressed to me.  It proved to be a name, for the aforementioned Kelor suddenly appeared from the thicket of trees behind the arc of creatures.

I almost laughed!  This one had on a long robe (of sorts), and carried a gnarled staff that had apparently been ‘adorned’ with a stringy moss.  But it was the headgear he wore that had touched my funny-bone!  The thing was made of thin, interwoven vines, with pinecones, berries, a couple of dead snakes, dried fruits, and what must have once been a mouse adorning it!

The creature approached me, shaking in fear of me.  This pleased me, so I decided to wait and see what he was going to do.

He stopped about a dozen feet in front of my snout.  He drew himself up and planted his staff firmly before him.  He began speaking in that strange language.  He spoke in what was probably as elegant manner as he could manage, only a slight quiver in his voice as he addressed a dragon many times over this group’s combined size!

He paused, looking up at me.  I sensed I was supposed to respond in some way.  Not knowing what else to do, I nodded my head.

He immediately shouted over his shoulder, and made a hand gesture to something unseen.

Three more of these creatures suddenly appeared out of the thicket.  (How many of these beasts were there?  I wondered, amazed and a bit worried they had gathered in such numbers while I slept, and I had not noticed!)  Two of the newcomers had a third by the arms.  This one, I gathered by the large breasts and lack of male genitalia, was a female.  She was the only female present, it seemed, and she was naked. 

Her two captors, also bearing spears, brought her to the front of the group.  The… shaman, I suppose, gave them orders and positioned them in front of him.  Her two captors were shaking in fright.  She was nearly hysterical.  They released the girl and, stepped back.  When she tried to run back to them, they prodded her with their spears.

The shaman spoke soothingly to her, as the two guards got her turned around to face me.

Gads, she was an ugly thing.

Apparently addressing me again, the shaman began speaking his version of elegance again.  He motioned to the female several times. I got the gist.  I stretched and lowered my snout toward her.  I sniffed.  She screamed.

Her scream was a high, shrill thing, disturbing my sense of hearing!  And she kept on screaming!  More to shut her up than accepting their offering, I snapped my tongue about her, quickly brought her into my mouth and swallowed her whole.  Every one of the little creatures shouted in approval, and clapped their hands together!

I marveled at the oddity of the situation, and wondered what was next!

But what was next was their departure.  After a few more ‘eloquent’ words by their shaman, who ended with a sweep of his hands toward the pile of carcasses, they departed, moving backwards into the forest, bowing repeatedly as they left.

I just lay there for a while, chuckling as I replayed it all in my mind.

Finally, I shrugged and began slowly snacking on the repast they had brought me.  I brought out the dragon tome, and read some of it as the day passed.  I had decided to stay a while – just to see what happened next!

The following morning, they brought me more carcasses.  The shaman again spoke to me, a little more confidently than the previous day, but still with an air of reverence.  So I enjoyed a second day of reading and relaxation. 

Subsequent days resulted in the same glorious treatment.  I began to notice that the twelve who formed the arc at the edge of the trees changed daily, included at times females, as though they were taking turns coming to see the Great Dragon.

At the end of the first month (I was so comfortable; why would I leave?), they brought me another female sacrifice.  Ugly though they were, they tasted rather good!  I accepted this one as my due.  I realized I was basking in their adoration, but what was wrong with that?

I also started to learn their language.  At first, I would point at an object and name it, starting with a tree.  After a bit of confusion on his part, Kelor would then name it in his tongue.  Since they did not understand the human tongue Laurel had taught me, I spoke to them in the tongue of my race, which Laurel had also made sure I learned, from the moment of my birth.

A few more months went by.  I learn quickly, and was able now to speak to them – if haltingly – in their own tongue.  I had come to realize they worshipped me, not as a dragon, but as a GOD!  And I found I liked the accolade!

But I was also noting something else happening to me:  Lethargy.

I hadn’t needed to hunt on my own.  I hadn’t even flown since my arrival!  These creatures – whom only years later I learned were called goblins – were doing me no real good!

Adoration is fine – in moderate doses.

So, one fine autumn morning, I woke to yet another bountiful meal.  Right after Kelor gave his most eloquent speech, I – ignoring the fine bounty of carcasses – wrapped my long tongue around the shaman, pulled him into my maw, and ate him whole.  As the others gasped, screamed, cried or ran, I pulled myself up and started to flap my great wings.  It was an effort – I’d gained too much weight! – but with a short run, I was able to get lift.  I struck the high branches of trees, but feigned no pain in doing so (lest my worshippers think less of me).

Airborne once more, I stretched my wings luxuriously, exalting in the thrill of flight!  Once more, I made my way south.  I could almost smell the salt air, anxious as I was to see the coastline of this huge continent. 

Had I any idea of the wonders yet to reveal themselves to me, I would have dallied even less time in the Goblin Forest!



Wednesday, August 24, 2016



Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

                             Part VII:  Bounty

          So, I’m flying by day, and resting at night in an open field, or in a wooded area; once in a barn!

            Anyway, one day, I guess I got a little distracted.  On some level, I realized the clouds had broken, and I had decreased altitude, but apparently I didn’t care.  One must learn his lessons, I suppose.  In my lethargy, I had also drifted west, and – when this incident I’m relating occurred, I was over the river!  This is the Lleola South (humans aren’t very creative with names, are they?).  The first I realized my stupidity (ah, youth!), was a scream from below.

            I looked down, and saw a large merchant ship.  A female on board was the offending shrieker, and she was pointing up at me!  My first thought was that I’d never taken out a ship before, and I was a bit hungry…

            There was a loud twang, and – like the world had went to slow motion – I saw a long, heavy shaft fly within inches of my face!  It had a large, pointed and sharp metal tip, that glistened in the sunshine as it passed.

            That thing could have skewered me!  Again I looked down, and saw two men loading another of those giant spears in some sort of crank-loaded weapon!   That was when hunger left my thoughts, and my survival instinct kicked in.  I banked right, caught a wind, and pumped my wings for all they were worth!  I gained height fast and continued drifting west, away from the river!

            I’d been out of range rather quickly, I suppose, but I didn’t want to take chances, and continued southwest.  I didn’t adjust my heading to directly south until I could no longer see the river at all.

            I had not flown this side of the river yet, and found the land quite different.  There were several wide streams/thin rivers, all probably dumping into the Southern Lleola.  The land was more wooded, but the trees were not thickly joined, and the land was quite more marsh-like.

            Yet, it wasn’t too difficult to find a dry patch to rest that first night.  I slept light, rethinking my attitude of being the biggest and baddest thing in the world.  That javelin had really shaken me!  I knew I had to be much more careful; on my guard, from now on.

            Half-way through the second day of my sojourn on the western side of the river, the land below me became swampy.  The trees were much more gnarled, the undergrowth thick and nasty-looking.  And the smell!  Like raw sewage!

            But within the dank swamp, I felt a presence.  Something bad was there, living among the reeds and alligators.  And I found it intriguing that I could feel it!

            Was it another dragon, I wondered?  Was it using its Aura of Fear – as the tome I’d been reading called it?  Why would it use it continually like that?  Or, was it trying to frighten me away?

            But, how could it even know I was here?  I was not using the ability.

            I was circling the area, even before I realized I was.  I realized I could hone in on the aura!  There!  It was a large mound of earth, rising about ten or fifteen feet higher than the waters of the swamp.  Circling back to it, I espied the opening, though it was covered with brush, and shadowed with a long overhang of rock.

            I had already experienced a brush with death yesterday.  I should have been more cautious, I suppose, but the prospect of seeing another dragon intrigued me!  And surely that was what this was?  Questions came to my mind – questions I would ask.  Stories I’d share.

            I landed on the small space in front of the dark opening.  I peered inside, but could see little.  I sniffed, and got the scent of the swamp, intensified threefold!  But beyond that stench, I could smell flesh and blood.  A living creature definitely resided within!

            Cautiously, I entered – though by entering, it could be argued I was not being cautious at all, I suppose.  But I was young and intrigued.  And anxious to finally see another dragon!  And I had convinced myself that is what waited within.

            The hole became a cavern.  The cavern slanted down, into the very swamp!  This stone and earth structure had somehow risen from the earth – and there seemed to be quite a bit of it!  Was this, I wondered, the forbearer of a future mountain?  Is the earth giving birth here to yet another great, stone edifice?  I was again intrigued.  Still so much to learn!  And I was only at the beginning of my life.  I wanted to learn and experience it all!

             I stopped.  My ears had caught a sound, not far ahead.  The regular breathing of a sleeping giant!

            This was no gator; nothing as small as that!  I found myself thrilled at the prospect; I was finally going to meet another dragon!  There – in that cave just ahead and to the right.  That was where the behemoth slept!   

As quietly as my large frame would allow, I crept forward.  Peering inside, I saw a large, darker shadow in the gloom.  It lay on top a mound of undiscernible make.  This was the beast!  A sleeping dragon lay before me – the first of my kind I had beheld!  I needed to see him in light.  I wanted to speak to a fellow King of the Skies!

The odor to my right was of old wood.  I squinted, and made out a large pile of what looked to be rough, broken, thinner logs. 

I called upon my bile, bringing it up from my gut.  I spit a tiny bit out:  In the flame, the pile was clearly visible.  I shot the flame forth.  The damp pile took a moment to ignite, but it was soon in flames, and the room instantly brightened.

The dragon awoke!  It rose from its bed, stretching out long, shiny black leather wings, as it screamed its displeasure at the disturbance!  It was a magnificent creature, about the same size as myself, but quite older, I recall.

But the beast suddenly held little interest to me; for the bed he had been laying upon was one of mighty treasures!  Chief among the rewards were gold, and colorful gems!  These caught my eye, and held me enthralled.  Suits of armor, weapons and bones of its victims intermingled with gold goblets, a large silver plate.  Coins and gems!  So much beauty, I was nearly brought to tears.

Only an instinct deep inside me saved me in that moment.  Mesmerized by this bounty,
I had not even notice the dark dragon call upon his own bile.  He shot forth a stream of a yellowish liquid, which I avoided only because my body, not my mind, responded to the danger, getting low and moving left.

The black dragon’s bile struck the wall near the fire I’d set, and sprayed some logs that had not been on the pile.  These immediately sizzled and began to disintegrate!  I did not know the term then, but this creature’s weapon was acid! 

Enraged by the attack, coupled with a strong desire for that treasure, I leapt upon the other dragon!  We wrestled, collapsing a portion of his bedding, and rolling onto the floor.  His teeth bit into my shoulder; painful enough, but the acid that still remained in its mouth nearly undid me!

I latched onto him with both claws, and pulled outward.  Instantly, his hide tore and, screaming his own pain, he brought his hind legs between us and gave a mighty push that separated us, and sent me smashing into the near wall!  I cried out, gnashed my teeth in anger and reengaged him.  My teeth sank into his shoulder as I again grabbed hold of him.  He gave a choking sound, and I realized he was again summoning his bile.  This time I was the one to separate us, throwing him with all four of my limbs.  He smashed against the other wall, and fell to the floor.

I summoned more bile.  His eyes widened, and, having swallowed it before, again summoned his own bile.  But I was the quicker.  My flame consumed him.  I smelled the odor of burning leather as he screamed loudly his agony.  I did not wait to see if the flame would kill him, but rushed forward.  I thrust my front claws forward, grabbing his unscaled, leathery chest.  I pulled the flesh apart, and watched as the flames entered his body!  I took a deeper hold and ripped him open even more.

I saw his heart’s final beats, heard his screams die out.  The heart slowly turned black under the ministrations of the flames.  Only after his form fell limp in my claws did I drop his lifeless body.

Then I turned my attention to the Treasure Bed.  I marveled at it.  Though the heat had melted a bit some of the gold items, they did not seem to me diminished in value. 

I took the necklace off my neck, opened the chest.  I sifted through the pile, collecting only the gold and gems, filling my chest.  Even then, I could not, to my dismay, take it all.  The old black must have collected his treasures over a very long period of time.

I closed the chest, put the necklace back over my neck.  It was much heavier now, but I liked the feel.  I turned to leave the now smoke-filled cave.

My shoulder pained me.  Outside, I climbed to the top of the stone and earth rise and lay down.  I would rest a while and heal a bit, before going on. I exerted my Aura of Fear, so I would be left alone.  Then I slept, dreaming of gold, jewelry and gems, and the glory of the battles to take them!

Monday, August 29, 2016

Darganau:  Autobiography of a Dragon

                             Part VIII:  The South Sea

There came a day when I could smell the sea.  Not that I truly knew it as such, but even in my ignorance, I knew it could be nothing else.  It was a salty tang, mingled with the odor of fish.

             There was another odor, however, and it was strong.  Man-flesh.  Humans.  In such quantity as I have yet experienced. 

            I admit to feeling a bit fearful.  I was obviously approaching a city, and the giant spear was still fresh in my min.  What sort of defenses might a city have?  Dozens of the spear weapons lining the walls?  Wizards who could cast spells as powerful as Laurel?  Certainly, he was not unique!

          Nevertheless, despite the obvious (to me) danger, I just had to take a look at a real human city.

            I flew high, and aimed myself toward the odorous humans.  I glided among wisps of clouds, until I spotted the city.  At the same time. I got my first glimpse of the wondrous southern sea!

             What grandeur the sea seemed to offer!  It wasn’t as blue as I’d thought it would be, but more of a blue-green.  It seemed to go on forever, and I considered simply bypassing the city, to go out above that liquid landscape!  But then I looked down.

            I was enthralled!  The first thing I noted was that there was no wall surrounding the city, as my Mentor Laurel had described Mentária to me, and I think I had assumed all human cities would have.  At the far side of the city, along the coastline, I could see the tall and short masts of dozens of ships, and there were several more in the bay. 

            The city was a mix of wood and brick buildings, which seemed to me to be as old as I!  Hundreds – perhaps thousands of humans walked about the maze of roads and alleyways.  My perception could make no logic of this continual dance, but it only added to my wonderment!

            There were other creatures, too.  I saw horses, most tied before buildings.  There were odd-looking cows, with large, curling horns, pulling wagons, and a cart pulled by the smallest horse I’d ever seen!  (I would later learn that these creatures were called ‘donkeys’, and that a cross of them and horses, known as mules, were more often used for this purpose.  Donkeys, by the way, taste horrid.) 

I decided that I just had to have a closer look!  After all, there was no wall, and I couldn’t see a single person looking up – and no one looked like a warrior of any type.  I spun downward, getting as low as perhaps a few hundred feet above the rooftops!  The smell was bad, but I so enjoyed what I was seeing.  The people were dressed in mere rags – most of them, anyway.  They were obviously poor, but for the most part, they seemed happy!

I panicked, looking around for incoming spears – but instead, all I saw were people running to escape the big, bad dragon – me!  I bellowed my approval, and they fled all the faster!  I flew up to a hood height, rolled over, then dove.  I took a track from the northeast to the southwest side of the city, and roared as fearsomely as I could.

Oh, how joyous, the pleasure of seeing those small creatures flee.  I laughed out loud when I saw the donkey bucking and fleeing, too!

For my next strafe attack, I decided to get as low as I could – mere feet above the tallest buildings!  My path was directly east to west.  And as I started my strafe, I called up my bile, maintaining a steady stream of fire nearly the entire width of the city!  Oh, how the fire burned; glorious!

But as my flame sputtered, and just as I’d began to laugh again, arrows hit me, all three or four bouncing off my scales.  I looked back and saw four – three humans and an elf.  Two were armored.  The elf’s bow was quite long.  One of the humans wore robes that reminded me of Laurel’s.

Fun was over.  It was time to go.  I admit to some fear, seeing these heroes aligned against me – I was young, after all.

I suddenly heard a voice in my mind!  We shall talk later.  That frightened me all the more, and I fled westward for a while, before banking back southward.

There was a rise in the land, and I could see the beautiful sea beyond.  Circling until I found the highest point of land looking out upon those water (and ensuring it was secluded), I landed.  It was a good parcel of land, but it needed a little kneading.  I dug my claws in, tugged upward, then flattened the resulting pile, again and again.  I soon had a fine mat to lay upon, and I eased down onto it. 

Only then did I realize how much I’d flown that day, and much of it had been at speed.  I was worn out.  Though I had intended to stay up in contemplation and reading, I found myself slipping into dreamland.

I woke upon hearing a rush of wind, though I’d felt nothing.

It was early evening, the light of day just fading away.  About twenty feet in front of me stood the Wizard from earlier in the day.  Behind him - whether my imagination or fading magic – the stars and sea appeared to be swirling!  The effect did not last long; either the magic dissipated, or I finished waking.  I lifted my head, blinked, and tried to keep my face stoic.

“My name is Kalen,” this bold human told me.  “I am sure you remember me from earlier today, when you attacked Tanis.”

I lifted my head at this.  “Attack, sir?  I did not attack this… what did you call it?  Tanis?”

“Yes, that’s the city’s name – the one you set on fire.”  He was smiling!

“Well… I wasn’t attacking, or the whole city would have been destroyed!”

“Ah.  I see.”

“Truly!  I was just… having a bit of fun.  What do humans call it?  Teasing.  Yes, I was just teasing.  I assure you, I meant no real harm!”

“You tease well, Sir Dragon!  Dozens of buildings set aflame, some thirty deaths.”

“Well, that’s not so many.  They looked to have plenty to spare!”

I was taken aback when the fellow began to laugh!  It was a hearty, jovial laugh.  He had actually enjoyed my little joke!  That pleased me immensely, and I gave him a big smile of my own.

“My name is Darganau, Good Wizard Kalen.  I am pleased to make your acquaintance!”

He bowed.  “And I yours, Darganau.”

We talked long into the evening.  He was interested in my story, and was willing to answer all sorts of questions for me.  As the first red streaks of the new sun started to stretch over the horizon, I asked him one question I was most desirous to.

“Is it possible, Kalen, for a dragon to become a wizard?”

He took a moment to consider before answering.  “One’s ability to use the Arcane is predicated on one’s intellect.  Darganau, you are a highly intelligent creature, even for your race.  If you wish to learn the use of magic, I shall offer my services to you.”

This was a surprise.  I had thought I would have the difficult task of teaching myself!  “Sincerely?”

He nodded.  “It would be an honor to teach you, Darganau.”

I thought about this for perhaps a full second.  “When can we start?”

He chuckled and said, “We both need to rest, Darganau, but if you are sincere in your desire to travel to the southern continent, then I know the perfect place for us to hold up during your training in the Arcane Arts.

“Most of the northern barrier of the southern continent is a series of tall rock cliffs.  These mountainous formations are riddled with tunnels and caves.  Some years ago, I discovered a series of caves beyond a wide opening, that would provide both of us with sleeping rooms, as well as storage and training.  I think you’ll find it comfortable, Darganau.  The entrance also looks over the sea!”

I nodded my massive head. “Sounds like a good place to me.  I’ll rest this day, feed, then we’ll head over.”

“Darganau, as I alluded to earlier, though this sea is not all that wide as far as seas go, the distance is far, and there will be no place for you to rest along the way.

“Now, while I can see you have the stamina for long distance flight, I also see you are carrying a heavily-laden chest.  Perchance you’d allow me to take it over for you?  My method of travel is not reliant on weight, but volume.”  Again he chuckled before continuing, “If you were but a third your size, I could probably take you along with me!”

I’m sure my misgivings for surrendering my trunk to him mist have shown I my countenance, for he said, “Ah.  I see.  But, trust is a basis for a new friendship.  I’ll tell you what.  I’ll give you one of my prize possessions.”  Here he took off a necklace he wore - a simple gold chain – and offered it to me.  “We will exchange our items back on the other side.”

“What is it?”  I asked.

“Put it on, and you will see it’s quite powerful.”

I looked at the thin gold chin, then at my claws, and made a face.

Kalen chuckled – he liked doing that.  “Of course.  Let me put it on for you.”

I lowered my head for him.  Like Laurel’s ring, the necklace miraculously grew to fit over my large head and hang around my thick neck!  (Later, Kalen would explain why my accepting such a gesture was actually a dangerous thing.)

And instantly I saw.  With clarity.  “Has he been here all this time?”  I asked, pointing at a bipedal lizard standing near to our fire.

“Yes, but don’t worry.  The Dead are usually just nosey.”

Yes, I knew the lizard-man was dead.  Half his skin was missing, and the bone underneath held in no innards!

“Not only can you now see the Ethereal – the Realm this gentleman occupies,” Kalen explained, “but also anything invisible.  If you concentrate on it, you can also use a spell called farsight, which allows you to see a great distance more than you normally could.  Careful, though; the spell can mess with your equilibrium, until you become accustomed to it.”

I looked at the dead lizard-man, then at my chest.  It was time to trust someone.

“Deal,” I told him.

“Good.  Now, I’m going to lay down in that thick grass over there, and get some sleep.  I’d advise the same for you.”

It was hard to sleep; my anxiousness to learn magic was too great.  But eventually, I did sleep.  We didn’t wake ‘til the following sunset, when we said our farewells, and the Wizard disappeared with a flash of brilliant light, along with my chest of treasures.

Ah, Kalen.  The second friend I’d ever had.  We were together for quite some time.  And at least this time, I wasn’t the one who killed him.

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