*Nymeros checks his new bookshelf built in his house in the Paws village, deciding keep his journals in there* Enry 1 - Bowmans Hut Entry 2 - Journey to the Lost Lands Entry 3 - Den of Terathans Entry 4 - King of the Ancient Entry 5 - Exploding Occlo Entry 6 - Dragon of Paws
Entry 7: Dreams of Fire and Death It has not been long since I have moved to the village of Paws after the horrible experiment gone wrong in Adalet. It has been peaceful at first, despite with the construction going on the small tower south to my house, which seems to attract many birds which sing all the time, and Enna's excessive talioring sounds. I never knew a woman could sew so loud! I decided to find a horse and stroll around. I found one not too later, presumably having escaped from the stable of Paws. Having spent a bit of time as a stablemaster's apprentice during my time with Trinsic militia, I have managed to soothe the beast and made myself his master. I found the area quite spiritual and peaceful, no wonder some locals call it the Spiritwoods, with little shops built in the forest but not disturbing the harmony of the forest. However after a fair amount of strolling to the south west, i have started seeing carcasses of animals. I've dismounted and tried to identify the carcass, when a loud roar came over the sky. A dragon was flying back towards the mountain. I did not see it notice me, yet somehow I think it did. Another loud roar boomed and that was when everything started to blur. I felt sick but tried not to make a noise to be spotted. It took the dragon a good minute to fly away while I was trembling and holding my mouth not to take out what I had eaten few hours ago. Once it's disappeared I quickly mounted the horse and went back to my house. I fell a few times on the way. I released the animal to its freedom and opened the door. Last thing I remember is opening the patio door and then darkness. I found myself waking up at the middle of an altar with a skull. There seemed to be candles around it but they were not lit. I quickly gathered myself to examine the altar, yet runes I have seen on them made little sense to me. I tried to light the candles, however I found myself powerless In all its awkwardness, the whole situation seemed so real, yet somehow I felt it was not. Looking around, I have noticed few cracked eggs; carcasses of young lizards, bodies of warriors in chainmail and pile of golds of various sizes. Coins were dripping as young dragons were patrolling on them, as if they were protecting their very own life. Upon this sight, I realised I was in Dragonhame mountains, but more specifically Destard, Den of Dragons. What was I doing in the middle of a dragon den, in nothing but a white robe? How did I come here? Why any dragon nor drake did not seem to take any interest in me, while I could see them seeing me? Where was Rhoin and others? While bombarding myself with the questions, I heard a very deep voice speaking to me. I had to overcome batches of cumber to follow this deep voice. This was not the voice of a man nor an elf, nor any creature that had the ability of speech. "Come mortal. Follow my voice and find me, in my lair." Its voice provided a visual pattern I could follow through the dungeon as it was a magical summoning wizards do to conjure daemons of the Nine Hells. I felt compelled to follow it, as my curious subconsciousness overcame my reasoning. Through my small journey, I saw parties of men fighting dragons, dragons fighting amongst each other for more loot, men fighting men (however strange this may sound) and other sights that I can not remember. My mind was focused on the sole fact that I had to find this voice. After minutes of senseless running and going through small tunnels, I found myself looking at largest wyrm I have ever seen or pictured. This creature had legs sizes of young dragons. It's claws were big enough to provide me as a spear. Its jaw was big enough to take at least 2 horses whole. It was red, like blood, yet so shiny that one could see their face. Legends spoke of such creatures, yet those books who spoke of were often disregarded and used as fuel for winter. Then I realised, that this wyrm was the same one that was after me in my Initiation of the Village of Paws. "You have done good to heed my summons." "Why are you after me, wyrm"? "SILENCE!! YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME AND NOT SPEAK!!" A gush of flames sprouted from the wyrm's mouth, but it did not reflect the power I could feel that was coming from this beast. "You have a gift that in my opinion too many men on this realm share. They enslave beasts, and use them to do their bidding. Some of them go beyond that to control youngs of my kind." "We are dragons!! Our claws are spears, our teeth are swords! We ruled this realm, before any of your kind was born, human! Yet you have managed to trick elves of high, learned their secrets and used their ancient weaving magic to enslave the beasts that live on this realm. But understand this mortal, YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!!!" A breath of intense fire engulfed me, yet I felt nothing. It was as if I could not be harmed. The wyrm looked at me again, seemingly having regained its senses. "You will go now, mortal. I have chosen you to carry the word that we, the dragonkin, are coming back to reclaim what we once owned. We, dragons, are fire. We, dragons, are death!" As the word "death" echoed in my ears I opened my eyes elsewhere. I was looking at my fireplace at home. Mysteriously, the fire was stronger than ever it's usual magical state. For all I know, this can be a dream and nothing more. Yet, I need to investigate this. If anything would come up, the city of Trinsic would be the first to experience the onslaught, and I will not allow this. I will not allow history to repeat. *scribbles a note on the guild log and quickly departs from the house to find the alternative opening to the Destard cave, which was mentioned in Trinsician ranger logs.*
Entry 8: Wyrm of Shadow & Wyrmling of Sun Passage 1: It has been a week since I entered Destard from its secret entrance. I've spent most of my time watching and listening dragons, understanding their movements and behaviour against other creatures. To describe it, it's a series of big caves interconnected by tunnels walled by burned earth, covered by claw marks and broken arrow shafts. It is as dragons carved their homes into these caves, however battle marks are all over the place. A stench is omnipresent, coming from various types of carcass (humans, livestock, rats and even dragons). Some of those carcasses are either partially or completely charred. In fact, I can easily say this cave is the easiest cave to describe to someone. Most of the larger dragons remain asleep for most of the day, only revealing interest to living beings if they are close to their guarded treasure. Younger ones, or as librarians call, drakes are more active. Having fire in their blood, they roam around the cave, trying to find food to put into their stomach. Some go cannibals and attack weaker members of the flock. This cave is a true testament to "survival of the fittest". Some wyverns hang around too, however due to being a lesser creature (they can't breathe fire and use poison, which seems to be understood as a coward's weapon), they're mostly pushed around by bigger dragons. I will have some dried meat and go to bed. Thankfully, the cliff I am on allows me to spy on them without being spotted. I have even managed to make a small campfire and did not get detected. Passage 2: Today I saw a bigger dragon, with different scales dark as shadow, walking slowly around the cave. When it approaches, all drakes, wyverns and even lesser dragons make way for it. However, these ones are still very small compared to what I have seen in my dreams. It walked around a bit until it snorted around, then looked at the cliff I was on. I am unsure if I have been spotted, but the wyrm did not make any hesitant moves. It walked away and left, followed by several drakes. It carried on marching and left this side of the cave. It is also the first time I heard another human, but it was basically a shriek followed by a loud roar and faint voice of the flame. I guess these treasure hunters will never stop. Passage 3: It was awkwardly quiet at the side of the cave I am staying. The cliff allows me to see so much, so I decided to step down and play hide and seek. I took a rope, tied to a rock and climbed down. Not a single voice. This was getting curious and terrifying. I heard a shout "....PORRR!!!!". Hearing that a mage was around, I got curious and walked towards the entrance of the sub-section of the cave. No other words followed. I came to the large entrance, which was clearly shapen by dragonfire with charred rocks, still feeling a bit warm while hanging on. I looked around, and did not see anything. No words, no soul, not a single reptile was around. I sat down to think of my next move. Perhaps I should go deeper in the cave and find a fellow human being to understand what was going on. I probably spent a few minutes deciding, and it was not my thinking that made the final decision. I suddenly heard a very loud thump, which shaked the ground so that I nearly lost my balance. When I stood up, I saw nothing but 2 emerald eyes staring at me. This was the same wyrm I saw the other day ago. Its mouth was curvy, as he was smiling to have seen his prey ambushed, right where it wanted. I took out my spear; if I was to go, I would give this wyrm a good beating before I did so. However, before I needed speak any words to cast a spell, the wyrm took the lead: "I have felt your presence since you entered these caves. What are you doing here, little spy? Why have you been watching us for weeks now?" I was completely surprised. No book in the glorious Lyceum of Moonglow ever recorded dragons speaking our language. The surprise got the better of me, and I lowered my arms. "You...speak our language? What manner of creature are you? The wyrm scoffed. "I am not speaking your language human. You are listening to mine." This completely took me off. "Is this some sort of sorcery? Answer me, whatever you are!!" The wyrm ended the conversation, not feeling to quench my thirst of surprise. "Whatever you are, is of little importance. I am no longer curious. If you must know, human, I am Furlinastis, and that will be the name of your demise." As it finished it's sentence, the wyrm in shadows inflated its chest, and I was able to see a glow of red levering from it's bowels to it's face. It was preparing to roast me. I did the only thing I could think of doing. "In Jux Sanct!". I was able to create a barrier in front me as the wyrm had finished unleashing it s vicious breath. The breath hit the barrier, completely breaking it, but also changing direction, towards the ceiling. The power of the breath was reflected that the ceiling started to shake, and pieces of earth and rock started falling between me and the wyrm. The wyrm attempted to make a move towards me, but I was faster. I created a magical spear in my hand, and shouted "Corp Por". The spear hit the wyrm in the head and stunned it enough that a significant debris had fallen before it tried to bash out of it to follow me. Knowing this was my only chance of escaping alive, I made for the rope I had laid down and quickly climbed to the cliff. I looked back. The wyrm was gone. I needed to get out of this cave. I took my belongings, realising I had dropped my pouch of reagents during the swift climb. Next time I see the wyrm, my only shot was throwing my spear. I made my out of the secret entrance and started running. It was then I heard the wyrm's voice again, flying side by side to the mountain road I was running down. "You are a feisty one. But now, it will end. Drink my fire, cold one." With the end of its sentence came another magnificent breath. I was able to not get directly hit, but the wyrm's breath was too strong. The ground beneath me lost its durability, and I was quickly shifted out of balance. I fell from the mountain to my doom....until I spotted an alone tree lying on a bed of rocks. I grabbed a branch to slow down and change direction of my fall. I broke the tree into two, but it worked. I landed on a non-rocky patch of the mountain trail, rolled for a while on a softer piece of land. However, like most of good things, this came to an end with a small cliff. I was falling again. During the fall, my spear's knots to my armour were loosened during the fall, and my spear made its way to quite far away. I landed on the ground; however due to my good(?) reflexes, I landed on my hands. At that moment, I knew they were shattered to pieces. The pain was telling me their degree of "breaking" they were. The pain was agonizing, but I was alive. I somehow managed to get up...to an even bigger problem. A small drake, in hue red, was looking at me, in the angriest drakely way as possible. I had no spear, no reagents, and no healthy hands to use either. This was pretty bad. "F***!" I said to myself, knowing that making it alive from here would be next to impossible. The drake did not wait for a single second, and sent me a potent fireball aiming to hit me in the head. I ducked at the last second, and heard the blast behind me. I realised that the drake hadn't aimed directly at me, but the rock foundation few inches above me, when few rocks hit my head and I fell again. I quickly got up. I could feel my head was bleeding. I was weak. My legs were aching. My arms were still in agonizing pain, but the feeling in my veins was enough to subdue everything. I was never so close to death. The drake had not missed the opportunity and it was now very, very close. It was a bit larger than most of drakes I've seen in Destard. It was bright red, much like the colour of the sun at sunset. Its strong legs revealed many scars of other talons, suggesting this was no ordinary wyrmling, but an established fighter amongst its kin. Its chest was inflating uncomfortably and as it was ready to launch another breath of fire. It's ice-blue piercing eyes looking into mine told me "This is it, Nym". Those eyes were telling me that I was not going anywhere. The drake stopped at a foot away, lowered head and opened its jaw. "What a bad way to go!" I thought. But it stopped mid air, turned its face away to reveal a hideous wound. This drake was impaled by a spear, at a very vital point, near its throat's apple. Despite that, it had managed to send a strong fire breath. However that also reopened the wound, and draconian blood was now dripping down from it's neck. This was clearly a very resilient specimen. Apparently intelligent too, when it looked into my eyes and let out a high pitched command. "Take...it.off!" I guess, at this point, there was little to be surprised about. I had no magical reagents on me, no bandaids (and this wasn't really your ordinary man-at-arms to heal) and my arms, being broken, wouldn't be much of a use. However, as far as I understand, the wound on this drake was made by another human, and refusing at this point would surely mean it would not be happy. It would even not wait for me to decide as time was against it. I thought of the only thing I could do. I had read that fire was the soul of dragons, and its strength would be matched to it's breath strength. Many dragon tamers would primarily look for a strength demonstration of fire breaths before deciding to "bond" with their dragons. I quickly gathered my dagger, while the drake lay sitting. In agonising pain, I managed to cut up some barks. I managed to make a small fire with applying my dagger to a stone piece nearby, despite the process hurting like nothing I've experienced befor. I went back to the creature: "This will hurt even more, wyrmling. Stay still." My broken arms were able to apply the burning bark to the drake. I could feel it was not comfortable, but it did not bulge. The bark stuck with the warmth of the fire and stayed as it was a bandage to an injured soldier. A hint of smoke came from the wound, but the bleeding had stopped. The drake looked at me, with still menacing eyes, and prepared to fly, just before collapsing again. Its hissing made it clear that the wound was not healed fully, and it needed to rest. "You're too hurt to fly anywhere. You need to be taken care of. And near Destard, there is no way you will survive a night, as many of my kind will come hunting for you, for your skin." The drake roared to disagree, but understood my point. "I can take care of you for a while, drake, if you promise not to eat me at my sleep." Looking ashamed, the reptile gave in. "Very well, human. I will follow you. I will shout to acknowledge you, to show my loyalty and promise that I will not turn on you, but you will also make me a geas that you will not betray me." I did not understand what shouting meant, but I nodded. To be honest, I had little choice at this time. The drake continued: "This will hurt human. Stay still." It roared into my face, but it was not a roar. It was a warm breeze of welcoming, and I could hear whispers in the roar. I tried to reply. "What is..." but to no avail. My voice was nowhere as loud as a dragon's roar. Instead, I decide to listen to its roar. I couldn't make a lot meaning of the whispers, but I heard one word repeating. "Rhoynar". This was such a coincidence. Part of my family, also called Rhoynians, had migrated from a distant land called Rhoynar, many centuries ago. But I could feel it was not what the reptile meant. It was its name. A serendipity I thought. The roaring ended. "Very well, Nymeros. I shall now follow you. Take me back to your lair."
