Tribulations of a Dragon

This little test of circles and numbers doesn't prove anything other than Raya being good at drawing circles. Doc is hesitating just like I expected, but it could mean a personality quirk, past trauma, or a neurological divergence. Regardless of which it is, the answer is the same: he needs things to be clear.

While he struggles to pick an answer, Raya struggles to contain herself as she seems to have an answer of her own, unable to move from beneath my claw. To her credit, she isn't just shouting it out, and instead, she just keeps trying to wriggle free, getting dirtier by the minute. Her struggles might be putting more pressure on Doc than she intends, but that doesn't matter now; we already have the result we want.

Nudging Doc, I tell him that he has done well, and we're done with this whole thing. Instead of leaving him to suffer from not knowing, I explain how these circles represent a simple test to determine how someone handles vague tasks. So going forward, we will need to be clear in our instructions, but that's just a good idea regardless. And I'm curious whether this hesitation of his has an impact on his magical abilities. I can't imagine plague doctors having an abundance of teachers in a world with a god suppressing diseases.

Doc still seems unsure of himself, but as he continues to stare at the circles, I unleash Raya. Leaving small claw marks in the floor, she rushes to the test area and points to the one with only the number two in it.

"It's this one! That one has a two and a zero, and that one has a two and a three. They're different, so that means this one is the answer."

"And yet, these two do fit the criteria of the question posed. A circle with the number two. It did not specify only the number two, meaning twenty and thirty-two are equally correct."

"That's Kira's fault for being dumb. She can just ask the question like a normal person. Like this: Pick the circle with only a two in it."

"The second from the left."

"Yeah! Now pick a circle with a number higher than two and a two!"

"Last from the left, first from the right."

"See? It's easy. Kira just needs to tell you how to do it."

I'm getting the impression that Raya wasn't paying attention when I explained the testing purpose… but she has come to the correct conclusion. Sort of.

More importantly, we can start making Doc feel comfortable being here, and I'm sure Lunch doesn't have a problem helping out with his earthy magic. Looking around, I spot Lunch studying the expanded mural, which now contains goblins turning into tiny dragons, including wings, but I haven't seen anyone with wings yet.

"Is this accurate?"

"Oh! Indeed it is! The story tells of Tuiran's tumultuous growth in recent times, sparked by the arrival of their Guardian Dragon, how the Guild offended them and vengeance was sought. Atop these outcroppings, you'll find small mementos of the past, memories left by the townsfolk who have lost something, but wish to overcome those challenges. The Helmet of Melty, the Coin of New Trade, and a Potion of the Mind Bridge. Each item holds great value to the citizens here. So much so that they come to visit to be reminded of the past they're leaving behind and the future they're welcoming."

That sounds like an awful lot of home invasion... When the heck did that all start? And why is Doc explaining it? I guess Jeannie and Tiffy have been spending a day talking about all sorts of things. At least that means he feels comfortable, especially being confident enough to take the lead going over Tuiran's history.

Looking at the mural, it has become somewhat segmented, with each part having an item to match it. The new parts show merchants and adventurers showing up and helping rebuild my town to be more accommodating to my size, and they're freakin' building underground, too! We'll need to add some sort of markings, so I don't step onto someone's underground house and collapse the ceiling.

The last part has a figure that looks a lot like Lunch, shaping earth and pulling clay from the ground for my goblins to ferry out to the kilns. I need to visit those kilns again, so I can see their process. I hope they're purifying the clay first, since rocks and whatnot in the clay can cause a lot of issues. I haven't heard of any injuries or explosions, so they seem to know something about what they're doing.

Clay aside, I'm happy to see that my people aren't being shunned for not being considered one of those blessed species. And with that comes the delicious smell of spices and great food! With food on my mind, a potential future issue stands out as well, and I should get ahead of that.

"Lunch, what's your actual name? Calling you Lunch will definitely cause some misunderstandings in public, so getting ahead of that is just common sense."

The raised eyebrow of skepticism is unnecessary, but I think he gets my point.

"Lurram. And I concur that it may convey less desirable proclivities for those who do not know of your odd behavior."

It feels a little unnecessary to call me odd as well, but I'm glad he agrees.

"Nice to meet you, Lurram. I'm Kira, and you're welcome to call me by my name. And you can search for that ring you wanted. It should be somewhere in that pile of gold and trinkets. I really should sort it into more manageable piles."

And I should deposit the things I've gathered from our latest trip. Moving my head to the side, I clench my crop and feel the familiar sensation of a glob moving through me, ending in a splash as the protective slime from whatever happens inside me bursts. The resulting pile isn't very tall, but it's got width to spare. If I had to guess, I'd say it's about a cubic meter of various baubles and coins. A curious beak points toward me with a question in mind.

"Kira, might I try rolling in your hoard? I have often had fantasies of having the wealth to purchase a small plot of land and enjoy my solitude without fear of my magic causing sickness throughout the land."

I see no harm in that. And I know for sure that lying on top of a hoard is very comfortable and everyone should try it at some point. Doc will need to do it on the old pile, though, since the new one is somewhat moist, and I don't know how much of that moisture is my anti-magic saliva. He may be wearing comfortable linen pants, but who knows what sort of effects my saliva might have on him.

Doc strolls up to my hoard and settles at the top of it to sit down. It would be so much easier to read his reactions if not for that dang plague mask. After a moment, he lies down and wiggles around to get comfortable, and it looks like it's working.

"How is it?"

"Unexpectedly rigid and sharp. My back is being poked by several protrusions, and the coins do not offer sufficient malleability to conform to my body. I do quite like the warmth, though, but that might be an attribute granted by your presence rather than the coins themselves. I have not experienced warming coins prior to this, yet it does explain how tales of heroes defeating Dragons in snow-covered lands find the hoards uncovered. Perhaps this is something we ought to experiment with."

I'm inclined to agree that it should be explored. I don't know how cold winter gets, but with the rain potential around here, snow could become an issue. We'll deal with that when we have to; I'm not gonna make an issue of it before it becomes an issue, and my people seem to know what they're doing.

And I do like that he suggested that we explore the warm nature of my hoard, since that means he's considering himself, at least partially, part of our group! Now we just need to figure out his fancy microbial magic! And the first step is to figure out if it works on those glowing mushrooms used everywhere.

As I try to nudge Raya about fetching some, I'm learning that I have a minimum range for nudging, but I won't let that stop me! Using my agile tongue, I slither it at her and grab her to bring her into a proper position for nudging. As I place her next to my new hoard, she stares at me while I nudge her about grabbing some mushrooms.

Not one to waste an opportunity, Raya grabs a few coins for her pocket before heading out of my den. She's a bit farther from the entrance, but she doesn't seem to mind.

With Doc trying to get comfortable on the poking pile of wealth, while Lunch... Lurram continues his search for the ring he wants, I'm left with Jeannie and Tiffy. They have a few teacups and a teapot sitting on a table, giving off a potent fragrance of flowers and fruits, both sour and sweet. It occurs to me that the scent of gold is weakened after I've claimed it, allowing me to smell other things in my den, even though I have a considerable amount of metal lying around.

Taking their teacups and saucers in hand, they both lean back, staring at me as they take slow sips... Okay, that annoys me. It feels like they're judging me, or expecting me to do something, but I don't know what! And worst of all, we're indoors, so I can't just throw them a puff of smoke for being rascals! How dare they weaponize tea?!

Seeing my annoyance, the two slurpers smile at me while Jeannie pours another cup. Taking it in her tiny hand, she approaches me, holding out the steaming brew for me. As I open my mouth, she pours it in, but I can barely taste it. I need stronger tea... At least the small amount I can taste is good. I might have to commission a cauldron from our blacksmiths so I can brew a proper cup of tea.

"So what do you want to do with these glowies, Kira?"

I wanted to seal them in a small room and have Doc use his magic from the outside, but it occurs to me that fungus might be a terrible idea, given how prolific it can be. We should consult an expert before we continue. I'd rather not be the one to create a super fungus that takes over the world.

"Lauren, whenever you have time, could you and Merciferus meet us in my den?"

"Sure, we'll finish this round and head toward you."

Excellent. Point to Kira for being smart about it. I might as well be smart about it twice and only use a small amount of spores if Merciferus says it's okay.

"Leave them by the wall over there for now, Raya."

"Couldn't we have used those up there?"

Raya points out the glowing mushrooms, and it would make sense to use those and not send her to run out for some, but they're pretty and make my den look homier. I should get some decorations to go with the mural and fungal lights.

As I look around at the empty walls in dire need of decorations, Doc comes into my field of view and I get the feeling that he isn't sure what he's looking for. Instead of searching for rings, he's sorting my hoard into stacks as well as he can. Towers of coins sit in lines on a flattened area, appearing as if he's sorting them by some specific metric. He's sitting on his knees and definitely having fun with it, so I'm not gonna question him and risk making him self-conscious.

It is a little odd that I'm this comfortable with them touching my things, but I suspect that might be because of one of my less appropriate traits... It's possible that I may be considering Lurram and Doc mine already.

"Remember to look through Doc's arrangements, Lurram. He's doing a very good job of sorting through everything."

Without saying a word, Lurram looks up, staring at Doc's work. Spotting something, he gets up and walks over to a small stack of rings, picking up a specific one and staring at it. A wide golden band with a large, flat ruby set into it. It's really more of a signet ring.

"This is hers... Thank you for letting me retrieve it."

Doc looks up at Lurram, grabbing the ring from one of his piles, but doesn't pay it much mind before returning to his game. Instead of putting on the ring, Lurram stares at it with a sorrowful expression.

"You know, you're allowed to yell at me for what happened. It's okay to be upset, and you need to grieve the loss of your friends. It's unhealthy to keep it all in."

"Anger and shouting make no difference. They're gone and I'm left behind once more... Animosity only breeds animosity and I do not wish to be the person who angers a Dragon."

"Again, I was pretty upset about being impaled by your rocky magic. Geez, that hurt. You know, Merciferus ended up slicing me open to pull out the dirt. That hurt, too."

With a small smile, he looks up at me with an expression of pride and satisfaction.

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"If I may be so bold, I suggest we let our debts of pain be settled then."

His suggestion is marred by wariness, but it's a pretty good one and I prefer not having an earth mage creating spires of dirt to impale me. A clean slate sounds like a very good idea.

Fiddling with the ring some more, he holds it out between two fingers and hovers his other hand above it with closed eyes. There's a tangible flow of magic entering the gemstone, making it glow with power.

His soft smile broadens as he says that it still works in a soft voice. Pocketing it, he thanks Doc for finding it before heading out for some air. I'm sure he has things to think about, but he's welcome here anytime.

Before I get a chance to say as much, Raya pokes him in the thigh with one of her nails, making him jump.

"How come Kira is curious about you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not familiar enough with Kira to know what interests her."

The thing I'm interested in is definitely that he is definitely not human, even his magic feels more raw now.

"We already told you about her eyes, remember? Back when we met with the dummies from that wall town."

"Yes, of course... Must I explain myself?"

Before Raya gets a chance to tell that he does, I interject with my own opinion on the matter.

"Raya, stop trying to force secrets out of people. He doesn't have to explain himself if he doesn't want to. Unless it puts us at risk, of course, or it might cause a bunch of pain. Oooh, does it put us at risk? I'm hoping it does!"

"Does poking you make you tell us?"

She does continue poking him, which is visibly annoying him. I'm not sure it's wise to annoy an earth mage underground, and the change in magic I feel suggests that I'm right. With a final poke, a swirl of dirt envelops Raya, raising her up while restraining her. This time, she asked for it, so I'm not interfering. In fact, I want more treats. With great caution, I get up and start walking around the central pillar of my den, making sure not to mess with Doc's growing arrangement of coins and baubles.

Reaching the entrance again has an immediate effect on my scales as the warmth of the sun heats them up to a purr-worthy degree. We're closing in on evening, and I might have spent too much time in my den instead of attending food stall day.

As I exit the tunnel, I'm met with the gaze of Lauren and Merciferus. Seeing them works pretty well as a reminder that I asked them to visit to get Merciferus' opinion on whether we should try using Doc's magic on the mushrooms.

As I explain the whole thing with Doc's magic, it becomes apparent that I'm a little on the heavy side as I slide further back into my den. The soil here does not do a good job of offering traction for me when I stand still. I'm gonna go ahead and not slide all the way back down, and, ignoring my muddy talons dropping clumps near Merciferus and Lauren, I step over them to get up to the square.

With me safely standing at the mouth of my den, it's time to get to business.

"How has your day been, Merciferus?"

"Oh, quite lovely! It has been such an excellent experience to meet your people and spend time with my champion. It is such a rare thing to be given an opportunity to smite someone in order to have a joyful day."

Smiting feels like the wrong thing to focus on, but I'm happy she's having a good day.

"Does that mean you've had a good day after smiting someone before?"

"Indeed, though it isn't common for mortals to go out of their way to offend a God the way you seem to so often. Most who choose to offend the Pantheon do so for some inflated notion of their own power. A necromancer thinking themselves so powerful that they may slay a God and claim our corpses, or a soul mage- No matter who the fool, they meet the same fate as punishment for their hubris."

At least the smirk she has while talking about me suggests that she finds it funny, rather than offensive. But it's difficult to tell whether those soul mages and necromancers would be powerful enough to be threats, or if they just think they're strong. In any case, I'll treat them the same as I've treated adventurers who've chosen to attack me.

"So what's the deal with not interfering with mortals? You mentioned that at one point, beat it into me, in fact. That was a bit rude. And you seem to interfere a lot."

"I may guide my Champion and offer her boons. Though ensuring you did not die as the unstable magics of so many intermingled sources were overstepping, and I will have to reap what I have sown. I cannot say I regret it, as it saved so many, yet I did act against the Pantheon's law and your best interest."

I should probably make more friends who haven't risked my life, but that's for later. For now, Merciferus looks a bit sad, so she deserves a nudge. As I do, she reaches up and pats the side of my nose, which feels a lot better than the dang slap.

"Now run along, Kira. Your people have awaited your return and you'd best not lock yourself in your hidey hole for the duration of the festival."

"Wait, I still wanted to ask about Doc and his magic. Is it bad, or should I not explore it? What happens if he can affect fungus? Is that okay to explore? Can he make the fluffiest bread ever?"

"I cannot say whether it is good or bad, but only one source of magic holds evil at its core, and this is not it. Though I would not encourage him to use his magic on the living."

I could imagine having Doc out there throwing around diseases would make her job more difficult, so we shouldn't be doing that. But she didn't address the fluffy bread, which I will interpret as him being capable of making the best sourdough starter in the world! We just need to figure out how to get his magic working right, and for that, we will need experimentation. I don't want to interrupt his playtime with my hoard, though.

Instead, it's time for treats. And maybe exploring the implications of causing a town-wide metamorphosis. But mostly the treats.

Leaving Lauren and Merciferus to do whatever they want, I head over to the stalls and have a look around. The lack of strangers is nice and does allow me to be a lot less on guard. I know that my goblins won't attack anyone, but I'm a lot less sure about the adventurers and whatnot.

Looking at the stalls with a wide variety of goods, not just food this time, but some have trinkets, knives, and tools. It appears they're expanding now that they have more potential for customers. And it's clear that I didn't end up making all the non-goblins leave, since I still count two dozen. There aren't many of them, but they seem to be having a good time.

Leaning my head down toward a particular stall with pickled goods that I don't recognize, I ask for a taste and, with a stick, the lovely vendor impales a cucumber-like vegetable and holds it out for me. She's nice, and I should come here more often. But she also has a few scales here and there, making me wonder if she even consents to these changes.

As I grab the cucumber thing, there's a burst of sweetness with a slight sourness to it. This has definitely been pickled in some sort of honey pickle juice. It doesn't have any salty taste to it, suggesting that it might be closer to a marinade than a brine.

Focusing up, I turn my attention back to her scales and, with some trepidation, I ask the question.

"How do you feel about these changes, like the scales?"

"Strong!"

Not quite what I meant, but she does demonstrate her strength by lifting a barrel that matches her own tiny size.

"No, I mean, does it feel wrong, or would you prefer not to be affected by it?"

"No, I like it. You think we don't like it? But the hunters come back every time, with better kills. Old ones don't die when they're supposed to, and young ones learn magic. What's not to like? Have another agifruit and stop worrying so much!"

She makes a compelling argument and those agifruits are delicious. I will need Turo to make sure people actually want this, though, since I can't just take the word of one goblin as the voice of the entire town. It is a good start, so I am going to take it as a small victory.

Before I get a chance to move on, the vendor begins shouting to other stallkeepers, asking their opinion. Their voices become a jumbled mess of affirmations that these changes are good, and they're making it very clear that I've lived a life of privilege. I don't think I would handle such drastic changes to my body... Okay, thinking about it, I think I've done pretty well with that exact scenario. Nevertheless, I want to give them the choice, and if they vote me out of the town to prevent more changes, then I'm moving into the mountain and still keeping an eye on them.

I'm not gonna spring that on them out of the blue, though. I'm gonna have to find Turo and set up a meeting here in the square when there are fewer stalls, so my people can have a voice in their future. Regardless of how strong or accepting they are, I don't want them to get hurt.

Shoo, shoo, gloomy thoughts! We have good things to focus on, like my goblins being happy and making the market square noisy with conversation and laughter.

A recurring topic seems to be that the locals have stopped paying for things between each other, instead focusing on spending their money on whatever the traders from other cities bring in. Which also seems to be the purpose of the trinket and tool vendors. Some of which appear made with the dragon's gold stuff.

They're doing a great job of creating a thriving town, and I hope they're also preparing for winter. At least if they run into trouble with firewood or food, I can help without any issues. I'm sure I could carry a tree or two back, or a few boars.

As I wander around, it becomes clear that the expansion project they've begun working on is necessary if I'm gonna continue fitting in. Unless I become big enough to walk over buildings, but then my feet would be huge, too. That doesn't work. Geez, I hope I don't outgrow Tuiran. If I do, I'll just have to become a wall to keep them safe! Problem solved!

"Kira! Settle a matter for us. I wish for my champion to rest, yet once again, she does not agree with my guidance. Inform her that rest is necessary to prevent mistakes!"

"Kira. How can I possibly rest when I know the undead threat is still out there? We have to take the fight to them so we can save people!"

"I understand your feelings, yet you cannot rush into battle like a fool! Have you found your weapon yet? Every God's champion has a weapon of legend; where is yours?"

"Give it to me, then. It's your responsibility that your champion is prepared, isn't it?"

Merciferus seems kinda exhausted and I suspect their delightful day has turned somewhat sour after arriving at my den. It does make sense to fight more, but dying in battle because you're tired is just stupid.

"I cannot. You must find it, resonate with it, and become attuned to it. And to become attuned to it, you must rest! Only then may you wield its power."

That sounds an awful lot like an epic quest and that's one of the things I didn't want... Dang it.

"And while I sit around not doing anything, people die!"

"You cannot win this war without casualties, Lauren! You cannot be perfect. But you are so far beyond expectations because of who you are and your allies. Offer yourself the kindness you offer to others. No matter how strong the healer, not all wounds can be healed. I cannot heal all wounds!"

I know exactly how to not deal with this. Nudging Merciferus, I tell her to go grab a snack while I talk to Lauren. And the moment she does, I grab Lauren with my tongue and sneak away toward my den. We need to grab Raya as well before we procrastinate.

Calling out as well as I can, which isn't very well, given that I'm carrying Lauren, Raya comes running up the ramp leading to my den. Before I give her any instructions, she runs to my leg and climbs up, which means we're ready to leave! Spreading my wings- I haven't said hello to Joras! Dang it, we're taking a detour. Since talking with Lauren in my tongue is a bit annoying, I'll just put her on my head.

"Raya, do the lines and dots still line up with the new buildings?"

"Yeah, but why is Lauren upset?"

"Merciferus and her had a disagreement, that's why we're leaving for the friendship island!"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

The difference between Raya's cheerfulness and Lauren's sourness creates quite some mixed energy, hopefully, Joras will balance it out. Heading toward his place shows just how hardworking people have been, as I'm not struggling with bumping into things at all.

Aside from the wider streets, each house appears to have been decorated with floral patterns and holes with dirt in them. I'm not sure what the holes are for, but they would be great to have herbs or something growing out of them. Sticks poke out from walls as well, leaving me curious what they're for, but an answer to that is given before I get to ask the question. A couple of goblins jump onto the sticks, using them as leverage to jump onto a higher one until reaching the roof.

Raya was always a bit of a gymnast, but if everyone in the town gains an affinity for exercise like that, they won't need stairs inside. Geez, I wanna see what their houses are like inside, but there aren't a lot of windows. I'm not sure they have the knowledge or materials to make glass, but at least the houses do have some ventilation with window holes. Though they seem to be mostly used for entrances and exits.

I need to focus on getting to Joras' place. It should be around here somewhere, but it isn't as easy to find anymore, since all the buildings appear to be taller now. Dang industrious goblins. I can still see over them, but Joras' place doesn't stand out anymore. At least we're at three lines, so it should be right around here.

Looking around some more does yield results and we find Joras' place! Point to Kira for navigating successfully! It certainly has a smell now, and I'm not sure what to think of it. It doesn't smell wrong, but I'm not sure I like it.

Raising a claw just a smidge, I kno-

"Hello, Kira. It's so lovely of you to stop by."

Dang it! Lily foiled my knocking! That's dangerous, what if I had knocked on her? The elven woman greets us with a bright smile and not a single visible care that she ruined my knocking. Seems she's chosen a lovely green sundress today, which suits her quite well. Back to business, though!

"Lily, do you and Joras want to come visit the Friendship Island? Lauren needs to be cheered up, and I think it would do us all some good to not have to worry about the world."

"Oh, what a wonderful idea! I shall fetch the grump, as well as some desserts."

Now that's a wonderful idea. And we shouldn't need to bring drinks, since the ocean isn't that salty for some reason. It doesn't take Lily much time to collect the things she wants to bring, and now she's carrying a cloth with the corners tied and a good amount of delicious-smelling goods in it. Grumbling behind her is Joras, and he is not looking happy.

"Joras, are you okay?"

"No... Too many strangers. I want quiet, safety, and not to be found."

"Oh, do be quiet, you grump. It has been such a delight to have guests, and do you believe the Guild foolish enough to engage with our adversaries against a mightily powerful creature such as Kira? Or perhaps you do not believe Kira would defend you against those who would steal you away."

"Oh, I would defend you, Joras. Don't worry about that. You're my weird elf guy."

The raised eyebrows from both Lily and Joras suggest that I may be a bit possessive, but he is. I guess I could be a bit generous today. Relenting, I change his status to 'our weird elf guy.' It's not quite met with the approval I expected, as Joras lets out an exasperated sigh, but at least Lily chuckles with obvious approval.

We should go before it becomes nighttime, so I lower my head to the ground, allowing Raya to help our two elves aboard before heading out. We'll be going to the north entrance and flying west! And it gives me an opportunity to ask how they've been. Focusing on Joras first, I prod him for information on the matter.

"Exhausting. The merchants haven't caused any issues, often offering favorable deals to the goblins, but the adventurers ranged from eager to help to stubborn and dense. They were offered free meals and lodgings, and some still refused to aid the reconstruction, complaining that the focus should be on Plainshold's restoration. The damnable fools didn't want to hear that this IS an effort to restore Plainshold, but the materials produced here would leave the damn city without magic!"

"Is that bad?"

I don't really know the implications of that, aside from my own experience. I like having magic, doubly so because I need it to survive.

"Yes, it is. Material beings can, generally speaking, survive without magic, but all beings have some magic. And that magic strengthens you, so should access to magic be cut off, the strengthening disappears, which might affect the person's organs. It's part of a larger subject, but many aren't born as they should be, some have longer fingers, others a broken heart. Magic intervenes to strengthen the heart in such a case. Take away magic and they risk simply dying. It functions in Tuiran because your hoard is a nexus of magical energies. There's so much magic that it can affect everything, even when siphoned by the construction materials created here."

Okay, so that's kinda huge. Freakin' natural force patching up birth defects?! Definitely need to keep that in mind, although I can't think of a situation where it matters right now. Definitely need to mind where my saliva goes, in case it can affect this natural strengthening stuff.

Reaching the gate, I climb over the wall, since the dang gate is too small. As we touch the moist grass outside Tuiran, I spread my wings and we take off, heading west.