by Sami Dougish
I stared at Brazkin’s back, slightly taken aback, never in nearly twenty years, had anyone spoken in my defense like that! I wasn’t quite sure how to react, and I just settled for staying silent. I did however, do my best to convey my desire to kill Primus, Adarossa, and Brazkin by glaring right aback at them, while my hand rested on my hammer.
“Well that was unexpected to say the least,” Raskorian said sounding thoroughly amused, “Maybe the dwarf is learning that his rightful place is groveling at my feet!”
I had to hold back a snort, as I mentally asked the dragon, “Your feet? You have no physical feet.”
Raskorian huffed in response and said, “I provide you with the power beyond any mortal, if he bows to you, he bows to me, I am the power behind the throne!”
“Whatever lets you sleep at night you bastard.” I replied, I had a full-blown battle raging with my face muscles now as I tried not to smile.
Returning my attention back to the room, I saw that most of the people who had been glaring at me, now looked away, seemingly ashamed.
Brazkin, Adarossa, and Primus however still glared suspiciously, and angrily at me. They seemed more subdued now though, and Primus bowed his head to Orizmad, and said, “Very well boss.” He sounded like he was chewing on glass when he spoke though.
Orizmad though seemed satisfied, and he immediately reverted back to his happy drunk self, and he swayed on his feet, as he shouted, “WHY DID THAT MUSIC STOP? GET IT GOING AGAIN! I LIKE TO DRINK AND EAT TO MUSIC DAMN IT ALL!”
The musicians began to play again, and slowly most of the people in attendance began to return to what they had been doing, but I still saw a number of glances thrown my way, many of them in disgust. Still it was an improvement to what I was used too, plus I was being paid to be here, and the extra money was always welcome.
I followed Orizmad as he led me to the high table, and as we moved through the crowd, everyone scurried away from us, me in particular, which made it a whole lot easier to navigate the crowd. When we reached the table, I saw that my seat was placed between Orizmad, and Oktai. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I wouldn’t have to sit next to someone who hated me, but I would instead have to deal with the nonstop questions direct at me by Oktai. Sure enough, when I sat down, Oktai immediately started asking questions.
“So, now that the drama is over with, Orizmad told me that he saw you with almost no clothes on, and that it is indeed true that you have scales. He said they were the color of obsidian, and that roughly half of your body was covered in them. How do they feel? Are they hard? Can they turn away blades, and projectiles? Is it hard to wash them?”
I ignored him, and instead focused on the meal in front of me. I saw a spoon, a fork and a knife next to my plate, but I had never used the things before, and saw no reason to start now, besides, they would just get in the way.
I grabbed a large hunk of beef in my hand, and quickly tore into it, my sharp teeth easily tearing the meat and making short work of chewing. It was delicious, easily the best meat I had ever tasted. It was juicy and perfectly seasoned, and I quickly devoured it all. Once I had finished the meats, I shoveled the fruits in my mouth with one hand, while simultaneously wiping of the juices from the meat with the bread in my other hand and shoving that in my mouth between bites of fruit.”
I looked up, as I saw Orizmad and Oktai, nearly falling out of their chairs laughing, and even Adarossa, and Primus looked at me with more confusion then disgust. I ignored them and kept on shoveling the food down until the plate was clean, I even flicked my long tongue out, to lap up every single drop of the juices left on the plate.
Orizmad was now slapping the table as he leaned back, nearly crying from laughter.
“I can’t, I can’t,” the dwarf said breathlessly as he struggled to get the words out between laughs, “Slow down, there is plenty of food, no one is going to steal it from you!”
Oktai laughing just as hard said, “Did you see that! He ate the whole plate faster than you can drain a pint of ale Boss! I wish I had teeth that made eating meat so satisfying! And that tongue! Oh I could have any woman I wanted if my tongue could do that!”
Orizmad roared with laughter at that comment, Adarossa made a disgusted sound, and Primus actually had to hide his smirk. I didn’t care, and continued to lick the juices off the plate, savoring every drop.
“Ugh vessel, you have the eating manners of a halfwit hog! Show some damn decorum!”
In my head I told him where he could shove his suggestion, and he growled in response. While I had been given enough food to keep me strong and in fighting shape, I still had been limited. This was easily the biggest meal I had ever eaten, and despite still wanting to eat more, my stomach which had spent years surviving on less, was already nearing its capacity. Still I couldn’t help grabbing getting up and grabbing a handful of fruit. Which once again, my teeth made short work of.
I looked around in vain for something to drink that wasn’t alcoholic, and when I failed to find anything, I went back to the table, and asked, “Is there any water around here?”
Orizmad looked almost offended, as he swung his mug in my direction, “Water! Water! You say?! By the fine beard growing from my chin, why would you want that tasteless swill, when you can have ale, mead, or bear?! Here take a swig of this. That will put some scales on your chest!”
He leaned back, and held a mug under a keg behind us, and filled it to the brim with a frothy substance and pushed it in my direction. I refused it, and said, “I don’t drink alcohol. I want water.”
“You don’t drink!” Orizmad exclaimed, looking scandalized, “What are you wee lass!” He shook the drink in my face, spilling half the contents as he said, “This stuff is the nectar from the gods! No finer drink will you find for hundreds of miles in any direction let me tell you!”
I just gave him a deadpan stare, and eventually he threw up his hands, and sounding nearly heartbroken said, “Fine, Fine, if you don’t want to drink this brew, you can have some damn water. I swear though, that you can’t be a real man until you have drunk yourself to unconsciousness at least five time in ya life. Oy Melinda darling, go and fetch this bastard water!” He said that last word as though it was a bad taste he wanted to get out of his mouth. As long as I got my water, I didn’t care.
Melinda turned out to be one of the many servants, and she quickly replied with a, “Sure thing boss,” and bustled out of the room.
“So while we wait for that water, I have some more question,” Oktai stood as he leaned forward, “Like why do you eat so fast, is that just a racial trait, and I would have guess with those teeth, your kind are solely carnivores, is-“
“Look!” I growled, getting a headache from the continually questions, “I haven’t answered any of your questions, but you still keep asking! So I will make a deal with you, I will answer any three questions you ask, and after that you leave me in peace!”
Not put off in the slightest by my tone, Oktai nodded eagerly, and said, “Deal!”
I sighed with relief, and said, “Good, now ask your questions!”
Oktai folded his hands, seemingly taking his questions seriously. Finally, he nodded, and asked, “First question, Orizmad told us me you were a slave in Thuum, tell me how did that happen.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, he hadn’t been asking these kinds of questions before, earlier it had been stupid things like how do your scales feel. This was a question I didn’t feel like answering. I noticed that even Adarossa, Primus, and Brazkin had leaned in, apparently curious enough to ignore their dislike of me.
“Ask a different question.”
Oktai shook his head solemnly, and said, “No a deal was made, among my people breaking a deal entered into willingly is a terrible sin, You must honor the deal.”
“Well it’s a good thing I am not of your people!” I growled back, fucking pushy humans, why couldn’t they ever mind their own business?!
Fine he wanted an answer, I’d give him
one, “Fine, I was taken by slavers years ago! One question, next!”
Oktai blinked, and then in an affronted tone said, “You have to give us more then that, that was hardly an answer!”
“I said I would answer three questions, I didn’t say how detailed my answers would be, next time make a better deal, next question.”
Oktai looked at me, seemingly irritated I had wiggled my way out of revealing too much about myself, still eventually he sighed, and said, “Ugh fine. Well how old are you then?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I think twenty four, last question.”
Orizmad laughed loudly as Oktai looked more and more defeated as he realized he wasn’t going to get anything out of me.
“How well can you smell?”
“Enough to tell you that the mage,” I gestured at Brazkin, “Needed a new pair of pants after I held him hostage.”
Oktai and Orizmad blinked a few times, looked at each other, then at Brazkin, who was turning a shade of red similar to his fire magic, and then burst out laughing.
“I think that’s the first joke I have heard form you Vakarrian!” Orizmad bellowed as he slapped the table raucously as he howled with laughter.
Oktai took a look at Brazkin, and his laughter increased to the point that he nearly fell out of his seat laughing at Brazkin’s face.
I took one look at the mage who seemed to be both equal parts angry and embarrassed. I made a show of taking a deep breath, and flicking my tongue out at him, before saying, “Maybe I was wrong, it seems that’s just his natural smell.”
Orizmad and Oktai were now both gasping for breath at the mage’s expenses. A few moments later, Melinda walked back into the room, and expertly threaded her way through the feasters, and placed a large cup, followed by a full pitcher of water. my attention was immediately drawn to the water, and poured myself a cup, which I downed and followed it up with two more full cups, until I felt sated.
Brazkin still looked red, so I couldn’t help prodding him a little more. I pushed the pitcher of water towards him, without looking, and said, “You need to cool down, maybe this will help.” Brazkin surged to his feet, and swayed slightly, as the drinking contest with Orizmad had obviously taken a toll. He said something in dwarvish to Orizmad, before storming out of the feast.
Orizmad, still chuckling, leaned over to me, and said, “Might not be the best idea to push him too much, even with my vow of protection, he might find a way to get back at you.”
“He’s a mage, without magic they are as pathetic as a man without a cock in a brothel.”
Oktai choked on whatever it was he was drinking, and went into a hacking fit, while Orizmad laughed, and instead of slapping the table, slapped Oktai’s back hard enough to knock him into the table.
The feast went on for several more hours and continued in much the same fashion. I sat at the head table not talking much, just staring at everyone in the room. It was the last place I wanted to be, surrounded by so many humans, and other races. Though I had saved these people, I would have no qualms, killing most of them in a second. I might spare Oktai, or Orizmad, but I knew if it came down to it, I would kill them too.
“Hm that is a very draconic thought, good thinking vessel, you are the host of a dragon, and shouldn’t become attached to any of these lesser ones. The only companions you need are power and bloodlust!”
“And you apparently,” I thought back to the dragon.
“That goes without saying, you would be lost without my wisdom and guidance.”
The dragon sounded so self-assure, and convinced he was the mastermind behind my existence, and I still hadn’t been able to shake him from that state of mind.
Eventually, the feast began to die down, as people either fell asleep, or got up and left. People stole glances at me as they left, and I caught the classic looks of disdain thrown at me. Seeing that people were leaving, I stood up as well, and Orizmad blearily said something in his sleep, while Oktai was half asleep in a plate of food. Adarossa and Primus had left earlier and had given me venomous looks as they left. Brazkin still hadn’t returned, and I assumed he was out brooding somewhere.
This was the perfect time for me to leave, and I stood up and quickly left the room. I quickly let out a sigh of relief, it was so good to be away from the room, and all the people inside. I really hadn’t wanted to be there, but if I got paid extra it was worth it.
“Whore,” Raskorian chuckled in my head.
“Fuck off,’’ was the only reply I felt like giving, and I felt the dragon’s amusement course through me as made my way back to my room.
I didn’t have much hope that I would be getting my reward today, as the dwarf in charge of paying me was passed out in the feast hall, so I decided to just spend the rest of the day resting in my room. I knew once I left, I wouldn’t have many chances to rest in relative safety, and I might as well enjoy it while I had it.
I made my way back to the room, and once there, pushed the door open, and made my way inside. I quickly checked the room, to make sure I was alone. Though I couldn’t smell or taste any foreign presence, it didn’t hurt to make sure. Better safe than dead. Once satisfied that I was alone, I once again bolted the door, and shoved one of the chairs up against the door. I took another brief look around the large room and shook my head. It was a ridiculous amount of space for one person.
“Nonsense vessel, I used to have an entire mountain cavern to myself, along with servants, thralls, of the lesser beings, and my very own harem ready to tend to my every need.”
I rolled my eyes, but curiously asked, “How do servants take care of a fully grown dragon?”
Raskorian snorted, and said, “Fool, don’t you know that dragons were master polymorphs?”
“Poly what’s?”
“Ugh, Polymorphs. Polymorphing at its simplest is changing either parts of your bodies, or your entire body into something else. The claws that you can now access are an example of what polymorphing can do. The claws might seem simple to you currently but believe me when I say any mage would kill to have the skill in polymorphing to change their hands so drastically so quickly. Mana is ill suited for magic such as polymorphing. Such powerful magic usually requires effective control over blood essence. You could never hope to attain such mastery even if you had access to mana. It is only my powers that allows your body to polymorph so.”
I looked at my hands curiously, now having a greater appreciation of the claws I could now produce. I hadn’t heard any stories about dragons that could polymorph, hell, I didn’t even know that kind of magic existed.
Raskorian hadn’t stopped talking though, and I quickly turned my attention back to him as he said, “As for dragons those of us who had supreme mastery of our blood essence, had the ability to change our shape and appearance. Not just small changes, like your talons, but major changes to our entire bodies. While I wasn’t fighting, or flying, or mating with other dragons, I spent my time as a man that I had sculpted to appear the pinnacle of male perfection. Ah you should have seen me then vessel, over seven feet tall, muscles bulging, perfectly tinted skin, and a manhood that made any mortal jealous!”
“I did not need to know that.” I said as I rolled my eyes at the dragons self-loving tone, “But enough about your self-loving sentiments, I didn’t know dragons could change forms! Can I learn how to do that?!”
Raskorian rumbled something under his breath, seemingly irritated I brushed past his description of himself, and said, “I do not know, perhaps If you advance our bond, you will gain the chance to unlock polymorph, If that is possible though, our bond is nowhere near close enough to attain that level yet, so don’t get your hopes up!”
Now that I had Raskorian talking about dragons, I was eager to learn more, so I asked him, “So only certain dragons were able to fully change their form?”
“Yes, there were only seven dragons in total that could successfully change their form at will. One was Vellus the ruby queen, the second was Drake Rugeir the
Ancient, third was Drake Xolbeog the magnificent, fourth was Queen Astion the graceful, fifth was elder Drake Vulcan the storm bringer, and the sixth was Matriarch Althaea the breathtaking, and finally me, Elder Drake Raskorian the Indomitable!”
Raskorian said the names with such reverence and pride I almost laughed, I settled for just asking, “Did you give yourselves those names?”
“No,” he replied with a tone filled with righteous indignance, “Those were names given to us by the dragons we ruled over. We were the oldest and most powerful of our race. Out of the seven, I was the youngest, born from the union between the matriarch and the elder drake. Though I was the youngest, I soon easily became to most powerful and feared drake in existence! I- “
“Alright enough of the self-loving praises, tell me more about what the life as a dragon was!”
Raskorian growled at me, and said, “Well I would have but after such disrespect, I will have to refrain from gracing you with any such knowledge!”
I rolled my eyes, and said, “Fine,” I moved over to my pack, and pulled out the history book, moved back out to my sleeping area, and plopped down on the floor, and contented myself to spending the next several hours reading.
Chapter 14
I ended up spending a good three or four hours reading through the book. Though I could imagine many people would find it dull reading, I didn’t. Being confined to the mines, and the arenas most of my life left me unfamiliar with the nations of Vlaicus continents history’s, and lore. It was fascinating to read about past battles, the rise and fall of kingdoms. Even if a lot of it was about humans.