by Aaron Smith
To my utter disbelieving surprise, the Adept Knight was still alive. He was injured, that much was certain by the manner in which his left arm hung limply and blood was pouring from his form, but he was still alive, and for that I gave him credit.
Of course, my ten seconds of cooldown time for CinderBreath was finally up, meaning that the Adept Knight’s journey ended here.
You exhale with CinderBreath!
The fiery red attack moved like angry hornets that had been dipped in lava, and they made contact with the Adept Knight, exploding in a shower of red haze and smoke.
Critical Hit!
You deal 99 Damage!
No way. My eyes could not believe it – there was a signature lack of a familiar notification, meaning that despite the damage I had done, I had still somehow failed to kill the man.
There he was, still rising from the fiery explosion, his large, ornate and engraved shield protecting him from the brunt of the damage, and his helmet had been knocked off, leaving a long flowing mane of blond hair, and revealing his features as that of a man who had just entered his thirties.
Adept Knight performs Valiant Battle Cry!
The man slammed his sword into his shield numerous times, drawing everyone’s attention onto his form, and I found myself unable to look away as well, as though he was the only person on the battlefield.
“Nonsensical beast! I have fought on the side-by-side with the Adventurers of Astra, and faced demons and creatures that would make you appear to be a mere lizard! It will take more than an overgrown reptile to end Pierce Graveheart!”
He slammed his sword into his shield once more.
“Men! The Dragon’s attack stalls! He cannot repeat his breath of fire indefinitely! Cast aside your fear, raise up your arms, charge valiantly into battle, for yourselves, for your loved ones, for her majesty, and for VICTORY!”
It said a lot about a person, that even I was moved by his speech, especially seeing as how all the other Knights seem to rise up with fervor.
“FOR VICTORY!”
The chants grew louder, and like a hive mind, all of them seemed to straighten their backs, raise their swords into the air, and yell out the same chant.
“VICTORY!”
Then, pandemonium rapidly followed suit.
“CHARGE!”
“SLAY THE DRAGON!”
“FOR THE KING!”
With their fear gone, they were a rapidly coordinated unit, following Pierce’s instructions and charging straight at me, with the same heavy cries.
It was beautiful, wonderful, the manner in which they had completely determined themselves ready to die for a noble cause, and it would have brought a tear to many people’s eyes.
You exhaled Red Wisp!
I was not amongst those people unfortunately.
Critical Hit!
A superheated red haze soared forth from my mouth in a continuous stream, effortlessly slamming into the gathered charging midst of Apprentice Knights and Rookie Knights, and fleeing merchants, all of them now screaming out of pain instead of out of some sense of bravado.
Oddly, the smell that resonated was like that of someone roasting the thick juicy fat of a lamb over an open fire, as Red Wisp was not actually flame, but just concentrated haze of heat, which worked doubly well against people wearing metal armor.
Six seconds later, my MP was completely depleted, and I gazed at the results.
You have defeated (8) Rookie Knights!
You have gained 80EXP!
You have defeated (6) Terrified Merchants!
You have gained 30EXP!
The merchants and Rookie Knights were all dead and gone, yet, the three Apprentice Knights and the Adept Knight – Pierce, as I would remember that name – were the only ones left standing.
Coincidentally, there were two horses left alive.
Main Quest Updated!
The World of Asperia – Part 1
Main Objective:
Find out more information about your surroundings!
Secondary Objective:
Decide the Fate of the Survivors!
Select a Choice of Action
You’re a dragon! No mercy! [Eat Pierce Graveheart and his two remaining soldiers,]
They aren’t worth your time. [Let Pierce and his soldiers escape on the horses.]
The world needs to learn to fear you. [Send their bodies back on the horses.]
I mused over the options, before staring at the three men, heavily injured and wounded as they were, I could no longer constitute them as being any form of threat, and I had graciously enjoyed my fill with the horses I had eaten. Still, they were good experience points, and I needed more experience points if I ever wanted to increase the time in which I could fly. Once I got to Level 2, I could fly for two hours instead of one, and there was no doubt that the Pierce guy would certainly be a ton of experience.
Bah, I chose to go for the villainous route instead. No doubt these Knights would continue to get stronger, especially the Pierce guy, and there was also no doubt that they’d try and hunt me down for revenge. Meaning, when I did eventually kill them, I’d get twice as much experience. It was a risky investment, but it was one I knew would pay off in the long run.
Hence, I turned my nose aside in derision, as I watched them climb unto the horses.
You have chosen Option B – They aren’t worth your time.
“Flee. Run – run little humans. Run back to your homes and remember that the only reason you live, is because Timothy deemed you unworthy of killing.”
I was impressed by how terrifying and convincing my own voice sounded, and likewise, I felt that the acting was extremely top notch to.
“You will regret this day dragon!”
Pierce had given one last shout, before he clamored away on the back of a horse, up and off into the distance.
I sighed, now turning my attention to the now empty carts, which I had been certain not to damage, and likewise, turned my gaze up to the tree lines, where I knew the bandits had gone into hiding, being smart enough to avoid fighting me.
I cleared my throat, making my voice sound doubly more intimidating than it had any right to be. “Reveal yourselves vermin, or die.”
Shakily, they approached forth, the leader of the bandits, clad in a collection of rags that looked haphazardly sewn together and flimsy, dull looking daggers, I shook my head in disbelief. These bandits would not have lasted a second against those knights, and yet they had chosen to attack them either way. That was some ridiculous levels of desperation.
“I am the Dragon, Timothy. I am not without reason or mercy. I shall let you and the rest of your pitiful kind have the treasures of those knights, in exchange for information.”
I wondered if I could win an Oscar for my acting skills, or maybe it was just the draconic presence I had that made me sound so convincing. Still, there was no denying that I enjoyed the manner in which their eyes instantly lit up, and each of their fear was replaced instead with shock and disbelief.
“O-of c-course g-great d-dragon, we – we will answer anything you ask.”
I ignored the urge to bare my fangs and smirk, and instead, I simply smiled.
“Good.”
Main Quest Completed!
The World of Asperia – Part 1
Rewards: Gained Map of Asperia!
Gained Territory: Paucity Den!
Gained Feudal Lord Status!
Gained 100EXP!
Gained +100 Infamy!
Oh, I could definitely get used to this.
Chapter 4
I had settled in above a large billowing hill that overlooked the village where the bandits had come from. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, and a map lay before me, one of the numerous spoils of completing my latest quest. As it turned out, Astra was quite literally a realm of gods and divine heroes, and supposedly, the All-Sage was their chief or king. I didn’t care too much about any of that to be honest, but what did in fact annoy me was how far away it
would be to reach. The distance was effectively the same as attempting to go round the bloody equator then on completing that, heading from the South Pole to the North Pole. Thankfully, I could fly, but even if I flew for one hour a day at 55MPH, it would take me an insane amount of time to get there.
Ting-Ting!
I turned my attention to the side, noticing as the purple haired sprite Ting re-appeared.
“Timothy!”
“Is this going to be a thing? You always calling my name whenever you appear?”
She shook her head and puffed out her cheeks once more. “You drained all my strength! With you turning and making all those loops while you flew – I could barely hold on!”
I let out a snort, a brief billow of smoke emitting from my nostrils. “You have wings.”
“My wings don’t work if I’m flying that high and – hey, where did the travelers go?”
“Killed them, gave their loot to the poor bandits and villagers.”
She stared at me, silent for a few seconds, before I also realized something.
“Wait… I’ve never been able to as much as kill a chicken before, but I just killed a bunch of people for sport and experience, and I don’t even feel bad about it. How’d that happen?”
“Um, I think it is because you are a dragon now. You are higher on the food chain than humans, and humans do not usually feel bad when they kill cows and chickens to eat.”
“Hmm…” I let out a slow hum as I scratched my chin with my long nails “Works for me.”
Who was I to argue with the food chain?
Though I was pretty sure that humans would think twice about killing cows and chickens if they could drop on their knees and beg for mercy –
Or would that make them just taste even sweeter? I had no clue, and I wasn’t going to overthink it.
“Are you are enjoying your new life as a dragon?”
“It’s… not as bad as I had thought it would be. Horses taste like bacon, deer taste like steak, I can fly in the air and do whatever I want…”
“If – If you could go back to your old life, would you?”
The question brought me a short pause. I would not deny the fact that the thought of remaining as a dragon was highly appealing. Oh sure, I did not have fast internet connection, or instant fast food, or advanced technology, but at the same time, I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I would face little opposition because I was a dragon, and even as a weak one, I was still vastly stronger than an average human being.
In comparison, I’d be going back to the life of an underachieving college student, knowing that I’d have loans to pay once I graduated, responsibilities to fulfill, finding a job, a steady income, paying bills –
I frowned. Why would I even want to go back?
“No.” I said. “I wouldn’t go back.”
“You do not have anyone that will miss you?”
My jawline and fangs clenched shut.
“No. I don’t.”
“That sounds lonely.”
“That sounds like none of your business.”
I snarled in her direction, and she flinched.
“Now leave me alone, I want to get some sleep.”
I curved my large draconian form around myself, enjoying a certain level of warmth, as I closed my eyes and ignored Ting.
“Good night Timothy.”
It was anything but.
~~~
Statistics
Name: Timothy
Level: 1
Class: Blaze Breather
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
EXP: 234/1000
HP Regen: 5HP per hour
MP Regen: 5MP per minute
Title: Timothy the Useless
Infamy: Rumored About [100/1000]
Days Lived: 2
I let out an annoyed sigh as I stared at the EXP bar. I still had a long way to go just so I could hit Level 2. Maybe I shouldn’t have let those three knights get away in the first place? There was no doubt that they would have been worth far more experience than the rest of the other weaker ones I had faced.
The sun was coming up above the horizon, but I was already awake far before then. I contemplated what I was going to do for now, as I had yet to be given another quest, and so far as I currently knew, my goal of finding this All-Sage was no longer a priority. Strange as it was, I enjoyed being a dragon. It was somewhat exhilarating being at the absolute top of the food chain, because despite how humans were supposedly at the top, only an insane man would attempt to fight off a black bear with his bare hands.
As a dragon, I could just cough in the bear’s direction and dinner was served.
Of course, I did not have to do any hunting today, due to the rather odd, and rather generous fact, that the chief of the village I had aided, had come forth with his daughter and son, and a few of their men, and actually brought a tribute of nice juicy lambs.
“Oh, great dragon Timothy! We humbly thank you for your aid, and we kindly bring forth this tribute unto you.”
These people were smart. If you knew that there was a dragon close to your lands, the wisest thing to do was to willingly give it food before it became hungry and decided that it would just swoop down unto your farms and eat whatever it wanted for itself. Of course, this ‘whatever’ it wanted could include your villagers. So rather than risk that, you go up and offer the dragon food instead.
Though, if the dragon was temperamental, it’d just eat you and your offering altogether. It was a rather risky endeavor, and I supposed they felt it was worth the risk considering how I had previously helped their bandits out, rather than simply turning them all into barbecue.
I cleared my throat, deepening my voice and ensuring to make it sound far more intimidating than usual.
“Your tribute pleases me human.”
I couldn’t stop my eyes from crinkling in mirth at seeing how all of them immediately relaxed, the thick tension on their shoulders evaporating away now that they knew I wasn’t going to simply gobble them all up.
“Great dragon Timothy, I am Emit, the chief of these people of Paucity Den. This is my daughter Maya and my son Atram. We would kindly beg for your assistance in a troubling matter.”
Ting-Ting!
New Main Quest!
The World of Asperia – Part 2
Main Objective:
Listen to Emit’s request or Send him away
Select a Choice of Action
Of what interest do I have in human problems? [Send Emit Away]
This had better not be a waste of my time. [Listen to Emit’s Request.]
You DARE ask something of me? A Dragon? [Devour Emit and his family.]
I mused over the options, before shaking my head at the third one. I wasn’t that egotistical to eat someone just because they were asking for my help, and at the same time, the first option was unappealing because I just loved sticking my nose into other people’s business.
You have selected Option B – [Listen to Emit’s Request]
“Speak human, what is this problem which troubles you so?”
Emit seemed to perk up almost immediately, but then his face immediately went somber.
“We are the people of Paucity Den. We are impoverished and forced, to toil and work for little aims, destined to live in abject poverty for the rest of our lives.”
I let my gaze fall unto the rest of the people, and all of them seemed to be so downtrodden.
“But, this was not always so. Fifteen years ago, we were previously a vibrant and wealthy community, rich and prosperous, and we lived in a large, brilliant city, second only to that of Meliora’s Capitol.”
Emit shook his head.
“But we were tired of the feudal system of the Monarchy of Meliora. We grew tired of the tyranny of Leporine Liveheart and wished a coup to overthrow the monarchy.”
Clearly, they had failed.
“Our Dukes were slaughtered, Knights and armies hanged, we were stripped of ou
r names and nobilities, and those who survived that night were ‘spared’, brought out here to a village miles away from the heart of Meliora, and forced to toil in mines, farm and labor – being slaves in all but name.”
I could somehow see that happening, but there was one thing I did not yet get.
“I see. You have yet to tell me what task you wish of me human.”
Emit immediately realized his folly, as he shot up.
“M-my apologies, great dragon… the task I would wish of you is something rather great…”
I let out a huff of breath that told him to spit it out.
“We… we would wish for you to kidnap Mirabilia Liveheart, the princess of Meliora, the greatest kingdom in Asperia.”
I gave them a flattened look which could easily have been misinterpreted for an angry one. Why in the world would they think that I would kidnap a p–
Wait, I was a Dragon.
Dragons kidnapped princesses.
Once upon a time, there was a dragon who would kidnap a princess, and there was the knight who would charge valiantly to slay the beast and save the princess, winning her hand in marriage and becoming king – the end.
You have got to be fricking kidding me. How in the world had I entered this ridiculous trite fantasy world where I was supposed to kidnap princesses because I was a dragon?
Wait, why did dragons even kidnap princesses in the first place? Tradition? The appeal? Or was it a wondrous beauty and deadly terrifying beast like scenario with the dragon seeking true love?
“And why…” I began, slowly rising “…would you ask of me such an asinine task?”
I was not angry of course, just curious, genuinely curious as to their reason. Of course, as far as I knew, there were no psychics or expert psychologists in their midst, and as such, it was obvious to see how even the bravest and buffest of them already had their legs quivering.
I had to give the chief – Emit, some credit though. It seemed either he had resigned himself to his death, or his conviction was so strong that even the risen presence of a colossal dragon was not enough to make him lose his nerve.
“I-I-It is b-b-b-b-because –”
And it seemed I had spoken too soon.
I sighed, entering back into a less terrifying position. “I will not devour you for stating your mind human.”