Tribulations of a Dragon

Dang Merciferus, smacking me right on the side of my nose... At least she held back; otherwise, I think I might have ended up bleeding. I need a treat or two to soothe my hurt scales. And the square smells like there are a lot of treats available. The delicious smell of hundreds of uneaten snacks taunts me as the pathways between the stalls are still too small for me.

At least I have plenty of room available to lie down here, since even stepping over the stalls is risky, given the bizarre amount of non-goblins present and I'd have to be extra careful with my hind legs. It's not like I want to exclude people from coming here, but I hadn't expected my town to turn multicultural so fast. Scalefolk, dwarves, humans, a couple of elves, and half-giants. One day, I want to see a full giant; they sound big.

I deserve a point for not immediately considering how tasty a giant would be. In fact, it's been a while since I've thought about eating people, and I'm gonna interpret that as me maturing. Not everything is food. Raya's staring at me with some very questioning eyes...

"What are you looking so proud about, Kira?"

"I thought about meeting people and not eating them."

"Good job!"

She gets it. The growing scent of fear around us suggests that others are less sure of my personal growth, though. Reassuring the adventurers present that I only chew in self-defense does settle some of the fear, but there is a general wariness among them as they steal glances toward me.

"I believe that to be untrue, Dragon. As I recall, you have an opportunistic streak as well."

Baseless accusation! Turning to face my accuser reveals an old acquaintance! A handsome man dressed in beautiful green robes and holding a tasty-smelling carved wooden staff.

"Hello, Lunch! Raya! It's Lunch! Welcome to my town and how're you doing?"

Admittedly, I should have seen the return of fear smell coming at blatantly calling a not-quite-human person lunch. I can't change his name, though, that'd be rude. He does seem amused by the people walking away from me, leaving me wondering if that was his scheme all along. Smiling jerk.

"I'm doing better, thank you. The magic here is refreshing, powerful."

To emphasize his point, he takes a deep breath as I feel the magic become drawn to him. He's definitely inhaling it somehow, so that suggests he's some sort of magical creature, I think.

Nudging him, I ask how he's been since last we spoke, which was all the way back when we met up with Turgai and his friends. Dang cultists snuck up on us again. Wait…

"Crap! Raya, I'm sorry! I do remember Kanen. He's the guy I thought I ate, but then it turned out I didn't."

"Yeah! Good job, Kira! But what happened to the guy you did eat?"

Oh… Right, I don't know. He'd better not be rattling around in my belly, that'd be a horrible invasion of privacy. Poking my belly a few times doesn't reveal any secrets, but I do know someone who might be able to tell me.

"Lauren, could you ask Merciferus if I still have a cultist stuck inside me?"

I could do without the wave of exasperation, confusion, and the mental sigh. At least there's some amusement in the rudeness as well.

"She informs me that she does not see any souls besides your own, so they must have surrendered to the balance."

I have no idea what that means, but I do like that I don't have a guy stuck inside me. Rather than focus on that weirdness, I believe it's time to focus on the important things, like food stall day, and why Lunch doesn't smell human.

"Raya! Lunch! We have to try some of this delicious food! It smells far too good not to try it, and there's definitely someone with a smoker a little ways from here."

Screw risks, adventurers have to learn to avoid getting stepped on by dragons at some point, it's part of growing up. I will try to avoid stepping on anyone, though. Getting up again, I get to looking around, and there's a sense of caution spreading throughout the square as adventurers all look at me. That's not my problem, though! And my goblins don't seem to mind at all as they continue to enjoy their day with delicious food and good company.

Our first stop is one step away, a small tent smelling like roasting veggies, and I'm treated to the sight of exactly that as I turn my head upside down. I'm also treated to Raya shouting about my horns almost impacting other tents, but I can feel them, so it's fine, besides, my face would hit stuff before my horns when I'm leaning forward like this.

The upside-down vendor is looking quite happy to see me as he talks about his wares. Roasting onions and mushrooms spiced with a glorious mix of herbs. Ordering a few to taste has him even more excited as I open my mouth and he throws me a few choice treats.

One thing is clear, though. I'm getting too big for these tiny treats to have an impact. They're still tasty, but it's more like a taste test than a treat. Still very good, though! Ooh, we should get a frying pan and slice the onions. Now, there's a snack.

We really need to explore more complex meals instead of focusing so much on grilling and spices. Like burgers or lasagna. Those are pretty great beginner-friendly things, and we have the temperate climate to grow most of the necessary ingredients. And maybe my hoard's magic will make it even tastier!

"Kira, you're blocking the road."

"I'm thinking of important and devious plans."

She is right about me blocking the road, though. And looking around, I do see a few foreign traders who have set up shop. They seem to focus mostly on trinkets and basic foods, instead of the more common items I used to just buy. We might need to set up a trade route to import southern food.

Taking a few more steps, careful not to squish anyone, we make it further into the arrangement of stalls. The delicious scents of cooking vegetables, stews, and grilled meats is broken up only by the pervasive scent of fear from our visitors. It's becoming a grating experience as the combination of smells creates a desire to fight in me. And that's not ideal.

Screw it, I'm going back to my spot near my den. At least then I won't be bombarded by the tantalizing scents other than food. And food is something I can ask to have delivered.

The sensation of nails gripping the scales on my arm alerts me to Raya climbing me. It doesn't take her long to reach my shoulder and proceed to walk along my neck. While she does that, I finally get turned around so I'm facing my den again.

As I reach my spot and settle down, Raya reaches my face and hangs onto my brow while staring into my eye.

"Spread your wings, Kira. I have a plan.-"

Doing as she tells me, I spread my wings, covering a large part of the square in darkness. The change in light level does bring a few gasps, but I trust Raya to know what she wants to do.

"-Now turn your wings so the bony part is up and Lunch! Get back here! I need stairs! Kira, you lower your wingtip as much as you can."

Ooh, I think I know what she wants. That could work. As lunch shows up, I begin to suspect that someone misunderstood Raya, but I don't mind the sudden appearance of food. Lowering my head for a quick snack leads to Raya jumping down, landing on the street as Lunch appears.

She's quick to instruct him in exactly what she wants done. A stairway leading up to my wing joint, so people can climb it and slide down my membranes. It tickles a little when folks do it, so I don't mind. And she could be right about it softening the visitors' perception of me. But I don't feel like I've done anything to warrant such fear in a while.

Drawing a huge amount of magic from his surroundings, Lunch gets to work while practically glowing with power. Sending the magic through the ground, spires of dirt and clay spring out, forming a staircase before solidifying and gaining a rocky exterior. Looking at Lunch, he doesn't seem exhausted at all.

He doesn't get a chance to take a break either, as Raya starts pushing him up the stairs and forcing him onto my wing. The sound of metal clinking against stones draws my attention, and looking back, it seems that Raya has disarmed Lunch, which I appreciate. I'd rather not get my membrane shredded by a dangling blade.

With the mage disarmed, Raya takes his hand and pulls him onto my wing, but he's a lot less sure-footed than she is, making it slow going. They do eventually make it, and the time it took has resulted in a bit of a crowd gathering to watch. Lunch offers a few questions about the safety of sliding down a dragon's wing, but Raya just holds his hand and drags him along. Right off the edge of my wing bone.

His screaming sounds like a mix of excitement and fear as they pick up speed before I feel a drain in the magic surrounding us. At the bottom of my wing, Lunch forms a slide of mud to catch Raya and himself before they impact the stones beneath me.

Judging by the laughter, he seems to have thoroughly enjoyed it, and he even walks toward the stairs again!

"Kira, are you causing a ruckus again? I'm hearing screams."

"I am not! First of all, this was Raya's idea, and second, I haven't caused a ruckus in days!"

The wave of doubt and amusement I get from Lauren suggests that she disagrees...

"You don't think starting a celebration, summoning a God, and surviving divine retribution in front of people unsure of whether you're an enemy or ally is causing a 'ruckus?'"

"That's clearly causing a commotion, not a ruckus. Focus on Merciferus having a good time instead of berating innocent dragons for being welcoming."

I can practically hear her laughing at me, and I'm definitely gonna have to punish the rascally champion. Hold on, I can hear her laughing. Lauren is around here somewhere! Looking around, I spot a pair of feathered wings jutting out from a stall a few rows over, and she might be heading my way again.

As Lunch goes for his second slide turn, others join the queue, mostly goblins, though. The previously palpable scent of fear manages to dissipate somewhat, despite Lauren's rude accusations.

With several people having used my wing slides, it becomes clear that Lunch's mudslide leaves people a lot dirtier than my wings do. We might have to designate a membrane for first-timers and one for muddied people, although I guess they all become muddy eventually. We need some sort of bathhouse to deal with that at some point. I might have to settle for the lake.

But that's for later! For now, I'm gonna pay attention to the growing line of people at the stairs! Even now, Merciferus' wingtips close in on me, stopping frequently any time something looks interesting.

I need to remember to ask her about helping Doc when she gets here. If she can do something or guide Lauren to a way to help him get control of his magic, then I'm sure he'd be a lot more inclined to come out to meet people. Today seems to be a bit overwhelming for him, with coming to Tuiran and now festivities with so many people in attendance. So he's just hanging out in my den with Jeannie and Tiffy.

"Are you okay, Kira? You haven't eaten the wheelbarrow."

There's concern in Raya's voice, but I'm feeling somewhat offended.

"I don't eat every wheelbarrow I get near, Raya. Sometimes I only eat the contents, and that's what we should focus on."

I am doing well, though. My sphere of friends grows and our mild bickering elicits a few comments and laughs from the people waiting their turn at the wing slide. I'm even getting a little confident that we're not gonna get attacked by a bunch of adventurers pretending to be merchants to sneak into my town.

"Greetings, Kira. It fills my heart with joy that you are well. And growing well, I must say."

Dang it! An adventurer hiding as a trader has shown up. Turning to face the source of the familiar voice, I see Nenka standing in a loose-fitting dress, staring up at me with a smile. Following up her greeting with one of my own, I ask what she's up to and she's quick to inform me of an ore trade for ingots. It sounds like our local smith is making good business. I don't like the sound of Kaldren preparing to depart with some lord, though. I've had enough of politics.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"I hope you're not roping me into any sort of politics with this lord person, Nenka."

"Oh! Oh, no such thing! Lord Tootsie is our basilisk. Though concerning politics, I fear I cannot deny such a thing happening, as you are likely to share a palate. My coin lands near you, should betting on a winner in such a bout become available."

Darn straight, I'd win. I can take this Lord Tootsie lizard.

"Where's Kaldren? I'd like to say hello to the master of stew as well."

"He is... occupied. He has found himself convinced that goblins may be the key to sharing his joy of dwarven cuisine as they have an affinity for spices, as he enjoys them. Which is why I thought to buy rope, as I suspect I must tie him up in order for us to depart once our cart is loaded. Might I ask for details regarding your departure from Tuiran?"

"Oh, I found a forest spirit, we had fun, then I helped with some undead, but I got exhausted and arrested, and then I got released by hoodlums. After that, I got drunk on magic supplied by a bunch of mages and alchemists, and I don't remember what happened during that, but I'm told it was good. And now we're here."

I feel like that's an accurate summary, but Raya chips in with some more details and things she thinks I've left out. Like the part where visiting that Faran guy was part of this trip and the cat village with the fungus.

I'm not sure what I expected in terms of reaction from the folks visiting from all over, but there's a lot of chatter about returning home to defend against the undead. It seems like we've ruined the festivities with our talking. Nudging Nenka about it, she seems to have a hypothesis.

"As the undead threat spreads its tendrils as far as Esfjord, they must also strike at connecting locations to block trade routes. Many settlements, both south and north, rely on steady trade. What good is a cartload of ore if you cannot eat? Or a rich mine if you must hunt and gather for survival instead of mining?"

Rather than explaining in any more depth, Nenka turns to leave in a flurry of movement as she calls out to gather a bunch of merchants. From what I hear, she wants some of them to sell her ingots in other locations while she and Kaldren travel to the more dangerous parts of the south.

Dang it, it's only just past noon and we've already made a mess of things. At least it's only the merchants- No, the adventurers are talking to the merchants now, so I guess I've accidentally caused an exodus. I need to get rid of this undead jerk so we can go back to me being the big scary one around here. Wait, no, that's my pride speaking again. I'm not supposed to be hated or feared. Dang that undead jerk! He's messing with my pride!

Most of the non-goblins have disappeared from the square, with stalls missing here and there from the arrangement, leaving the space looking a little sad. Even Nenka leaves in a bit of a rush as Merciferus approaches with Lauren struggling to stay by her side. If I had to guess, then Lauren isn't sure whether to treat Merciferus as a friend or as nobility. I know how to handle this!

"Lauren, call her a bird-faced weirdo."

To my surprise, Merciferus smiles at my command while turning to face Lauren expectantly. Lauren doesn't seem too keen on doing as I say, though. Naturally, being a very mature individual, I begin chanting "do it." Raya and Lunch even join in. I think Lunch might be nuts, given that I still have the impression that he's one of those blessed people and he should be keeping himself on the good side of the gods.

Nevertheless, I can see Lauren getting more frustrated with us, which isn't helped by Merciferus joining our chant. Good old peer pressure is sure to-

"You're all hellcursed weirdos!"

Lauren's face immediately turns red as she seeks cover behind her hands, but as I go in for a nudge of pride, Merciferus beats me to it and gives Lauren a hug.

"You must be ready to stand against my word if you are to make wise decisions. Though please do so based on wisdom and perspective, not emotion and obligation. A champion is not a tool, but an ally capable of acting on behalf of their God. And you have done so well. Far better than I had hoped."

Tears well up in Lauren's eyes as she hugs Merciferus back.

"But I don't know what I'm doing, I can't save everyone. If it wasn't for Kira and Raya, I don't think I could save anyone. You made a bad choice…"

"I made a wonderful choice. As did you. I was wrong to have guided you away from Tuiran. Had I been more trusting, I could have guided you onto a path of peace, but my own caution and worry blinded me. The deaths of those who would die do not land upon your shoulders, yet the deaths prevented, lives saved, are grateful to you. And you have prevented thousands upon thousands of deaths. Without your friendship and understanding, these lands would face a fearsome foe as the guild would continue attacking Kira, and she would continue to amass power, wielding it against the guild."

I'd like to think that I wouldn't become a tyrant, but I don't see much choice for hypothetical Kira if they had kept attacking Tuiran. It's sort of like a weird situation where Tuiran is an obvious weakness for me, but if my enemies destroy it and kill my people, I haven't got anything else to do than dedicate all my time to revenge. Geez, that doesn't sound good, so we should continue to amass wealth and friends instead.

More importantly, I haven't eaten my wheelbarrow of food yet. Taking a solid bite results in an explosion of flavor. There are smoky flavors, spices, juicy meat, and wood. I need to keep it a secret from Raya that I'm starting to like the taste of wood. Different sorts of wood even have different flavor profiles. I'm gonna assume it's because wood burns quite well and that matches quite well with the whole dragon thing I've got going.

Soft snickering draws my attention to my shoulders, where Raya stands, looking suspiciously mischievous…

"I didn't say anything."

"Your actions, your bonds, have saved thousands upon thousands of lives. Though binding yourself to a reckless dragon such as Kira may have been done in haste."

"Hold on, I don't mindcontrol people. I'm very much against taking away free will, so there's no way I've bound Lauren. In fact, we've talked about it and she guffawed at the idea."

"The name does not suitably describe the action. It is a binding of understanding. It tethers your minds, allowing both of you a deeper understanding of the other, but it does not bind wills. You did not know the binding is what allows your mental communication?"

I did not, and in retrospect, we definitely should have explored that more than we did, but it's been so helpful and we've been quite busy. Asking about it doesn't do any good, since Merciferus just sighs and repeats her old line of not being able to tell when we don't know enough ourselves. She's pretty selective when it comes to what she can interfere with. Nevertheless, I'm glad we have our mental communication, and that it doesn't seem to be harmful, if Merciferus' attitude is anything to go by.

I am curious what sort of other bindings I may have performed in my ignorance, and nudging the still-hugging pair to draw their attention, I ask Merciferus if she can tell me. All I get is the spiel that she can't say because of that weird rule about interfering with mortal affairs. I feel like she could lawyer herself around that like she has with so many other things, though, but she doesn't seem to want to.

"Before I leave you to enjoy more of the delightful foods created by your people, Kira. I must ask, do you feel that you are being exploited as a weapon in our fight to preserve the balance of life?"

I want to give a serious answer, since Merciferus has a serious expression, making me think that she worries about me leaving Lauren's side, but I don't think I've done that much. Most of what I've done has either been for myself or to have fun with my friends. Destroying a bunch of undead jerks is just a bonus. Especially when I get paid for it. I tell her as much, and she breaks up the hug with Lauren to offer me a shallow bow and thank me, which seems a little excessive and too far in the opposite direction of slapping me. But I do appreciate that she isn't trying to strong-arm me into doing what she wants.

Dang it! They're trapping me by making this about me when it should be about the food stall day! I haven't eaten nearly enough treats. With most non-goblins having departed, I'm more confident in not squishing anyone, since my goblins are accustomed to my somewhat larger-than-average size, unlike the visitors.

Getting up again, I start heading into the market of stalls, making sure to sniff out especially delicious-smelling ones. Which is all of them. With an initial target in mind, one with a plume of smoke, I head for it, still making sure not to squish anyone, but a lot less careful than before.

Reaching it within a few steps shows how much smaller everything is, and that makes me want to figure out how to get some sort of shrinking spell going for Tuiran. Even though I can't power it, it might be possible that my hoard can. Nevertheless, lowering my head to the stall allows me to order something! The table at this stall has a good amount of large cuts of meat with blackened exteriors. Noticing my interest, the owner offers me a big smile as she pulls out a dang machete and starts cutting into a piece, showing the pink interior.

I'm not sure what sort of critter it's from, but it smells so good. So naturally I'm gonna order some!

"I would like to try a piece of-"

"Firewood!"

"No! Dang it, Raya! Stop it with the quips, ordering food is important."

My misfortune isn't helped by the confused vendor already holding a piece of wood for me… I can feel Raya chuckling to herself as she starts to climb down my face.

"You'd better get one for Raya as well, we like sharing meals."

As luck would have it, the vendor does pull out another piece of firewood, not sure what's going on, but I get a laugh as Raya slips and falls the last meter and a half, landing squarely on her butt. It doesn't stop her as she just gets up and dusts herself off as well as she can. Unfortunately, the cobblestones were muddier than I thought, and she's a bit on the dirty side now. She doesn't seem to mind as she just goes to grab a piece of smoked meat instead of worrying.

The confused vendor still seems unsure of what she's supposed to do with the firewood.

"You can put those away, I was just teasing Kira. How much for this, that one, and that one?"

Raya is pointing at some really good pieces and I'm hoping she wants to share instead of hoarding them all. And she does share! The chunks of smoked meat get sliced into thick cuts and Raya throws me a few pieces of each before having the rest packed up in broad leaves to take home. She doesn't have her satchels with her today, so she'll have to carry them in her arms.

As she holds onto her treasure with one arm, she manages to climb my face with the other and her feet, appearing barely inconvenienced by the load of food. It's not lost on me that I'm now carrying both her food and her, the sneaky little goblin.

Focusing instead on the vendor, I ask how much we owe for the meat, and she brushes it off, letting us know that we don't have to pay for anything. Normally, I'd be wary of that, but she laughs and mentions that Elder Turo is ensuring that the funds brought in by the trades, like lumber and smithing, pay for all of us.

Well, I'm not gonna question it, I'm sure Turo has it all handled. And if it means I don't have to think about money, then all the better for me and my hoard!

"So, Kira. How come you asked me and Lunch to find all that food, but then you didn't do anything with it?"

"Oh, I wanted to make a dish, but then I realized that I couldn't without some preparation. But if we can make some tomato sauce and some flatbread, then we're off to a great start! Ooh, do you think we can find any corn?"

"I don't know what corn is, but probably. You tricked me with that fruit on the island, so maybe we'll find other things you know."

It's true, we did find chili peppers. We should import some of the good seasonal stuff and start our own bakery! Or confectionery! Or... coffee house! Well, tea. I prefer tea. Do I prefer tea? I don't even know, I haven't had much opportunity to try either one.

More importantly, I feel the magic around us shift like when Lunch used his magic. Turning around to face the source of the disturbance, I find... Okay, it makes sense that it felt like Lunch, because there he is, on a pedestal of dirt.

"Kira, I apologize for disrupting your outing, but I have a request. Might I visit you in your den tonight?"

"It feels a little too trusting to meet an earth mage underground, so you have to promise not to collapse my den on top of me, okay? I don't want any sort of 'revenge' shenanigans."

For the most part, he just looks confused until he does that raised eyebrow nod thing that indicates a feeling of something being clever. Dang it, I'm not supposed to give people ideas for how to deal with me. At least I'm not sure it would actually work since I'm quite sturdy.

"No, that was not my intention, I merely ask that I may search your hoard for a ring belonging to a friend whom you... you know..."

Yeah, that might be a reasonable request, but I can't promise that I won't be growling the entire time, so there's that.

"You should let him, Kira. He's been helping around town for days now."

I have already decided that I would allow it, but Raya vouching for him solidifies my decision, and the goblins around us seem to agree that he's been a big help. I might have to rename him if this keeps up.

"Wait, Lunch, have you thought about moving in? People seem to like you a lot, and you seem to enjoy my hoard's magic."

"It has been a consideration, though I would not be so bold as to assume it would be allowed."

Ooh! Earth mage on team Kira! I like that! Although I feel like I shouldn't ask why he wants to uproot his life, since I suspect it's because all his friends died. But I am going to welcome him and figure out how to make Turo give him a home!

We also need homes for Doc and Cuddles as well. I have no idea whether Turo has thought about the town's growth like that, but I suspect that he has. He seems like the kind of clever guy to dedicate his life to our people. Doc is certainly a curious person, and his being too shy to get out is something I didn't expect, considering how willing he was to find alchemists for me.

Besides Doc, I have no idea where Cuddles is... I'm sure she'll show up at some point, so I'll focus on Doc and Lunch for now. And since Doc is in my den and that's where Lunch wants to go. Naturally, I make sure to ask for leftovers from the stall day to be brought to my den tonight.

Nudging Lunch and telling him that we're heading for my hoard now, he forms a spire of earth to raise himself above my head, leaving me a little shocked at how little effort he puts into spells. With the spire in place, a simple step is all it takes to step onto my head with his dirty boots. He'd better know some water magic as well. Nevertheless, with both Raya and Lunch dirtying my scales with their muddy clothes, we head for my den.

Given that we've just been hanging out at the square, it's not a long trip. Before heading in, Raya and Lunch leave the comfort of my head behind so I don't end up smushing them against the ceiling. I'm getting too dang big for my den, even though it's somehow been expanded. I can't expect others to accommodate my every growth spurt.

More important than my growth is the growth of my hoard! And it has grown a little! As we head inside, my hoard comes into view, eliciting a whistle from Lunch, clearly denoting how impressed he is with my glorious pile of goodies. The mural has grown as well, depicting the town's changes and showing a unity between my people and folks visiting, with extra detail dedicated to people who seem to have impressed someone in Tuiran.

Given how shy Doc turned out to be, I did worry a little, since I'd rather not have him turn into a shut-in again, now that we've got him out and about for a bit. But the sound of giggles and laughter from behind the pillar suggests that Jeannie and Tiffy are doing a good job of including him. Approaching them reveals my hunch to be true as they sit around a small table, enjoying some cookies.

Tiffy and Jeannie are both wearing loose dresses, but Doc has changed into fitting linen pants with a matching shirt, while still wearing his plague mask. I wouldn't be surprised if...

"Doc, I have a test for you."

I wanna perform a test on him to figure something out. Looking around, I try to spot Raya to nudge her for help, but she hasn't reached me yet, so I can't do that. Instead, I nudge Jeannie and ask her to draw four circles on the floor, then draw the numbers one, two, twenty, and thirty-two in them, a number for each.

My captive audience appears quite confused, but I kinda know what I'm doing.

"A curious depiction of oddities with which I am unfamiliar. I know each component, but I cannot fathom the connection between these numbers or the significance of the circles. I do hope I perform well on your test!"

"Point to the circle with the number two in it."

If I'm right, he will struggle a lot with ambiguity like that.