Tribulations of a Dragon

A new day without sleep in between and I'm not feeling tired at all! With the softest landing I've ever managed, we arrive in the square near my den, ready to tackle another day! I can't walk around with a group of people as hats, though. So I lower my head to the ground, resulting in the non-dragons unleashing a series of yawns as they infect each other with that terrible sympathetic response. Yawn after yawn indicates that they do need some rest, so it looks like I have a day to myself. Which I know just how to use!

As the yawn patrol descends to street level, Merciferus comes into view. I wouldn't have expected her to stick around, but she walks with determination while heading for Lauren. I can never tell whether Merciferus is some high-society fancypants or just a regular person. She seems to shift between the two quite often, ending up as the latter when she gets comfortable. And if that's anything to go by, she isn't comfortable right now.

Being the tactful host that I am, I don't ask her what she's still doing here. Instead, I raise my head and nudge Lauren!

"You should apologize, Lauren. I think Merciferus needs that right now."

Lauren may be somewhat prideful, but she's not an idiot. Which means that my suggestion is met with annoyance, but she gets it, even if she doesn't want to apologize. With the two of them walking toward each other, Merciferus shows that she's feeling remorseful as well about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry for not heeding your guidance, Merciferus. I know that I can't rush from battle to battle, but I also can't ignore the plight of the living."

Well, that's pretty good. She's getting a nudge of disapproval for the but, though.

"Buts are for after the apologies, when we start discussing details to make both parties happy. Now it's your turn, Merciferus. Apologize to Lauren."

Regardless of how many eyebrows she raises, just one for now, I'm gonna stand my ground. Lauren deserves an apology for Merciferus meddling so much instead of letting Lauren be her own person.

"I apologize, Lauren. I did not mean to overstep, and I do believe I have. You have done so well with the challenges presented, and to my core, I am so proud of you."

"Great! Now that you've both apologized, we can start talking about how to handle the future. First thing is that you do need to unwind, Lauren. Pick up a hobby or two, something to do to keep your mind off the world. Same thing goes for you, Merciferus. The both of you need something to do, like pottery. We already have kilns, so it's an obvious choice."

"Kira, you can't expect a Goddess like Merciferus to play with mud..."

I can and I'm confident that she's interested in it as well, if her shifting and curious expression is anything to go by.

"I can expect that, and it's an order from me, the fearsome micromanagement dragon of Tuiran! So that's the plan! Bonding and relaxation with a pottery class! You, guard! Would you mind fetching me a potter and a carpenter, please?"

There's no reason to be more rude than necessary, and the guard I pointed at seems to get it as he straightens before running off. An excellent start! We'll also need some wood, a bunch of clay, a thick plate, and a rod. Hopefully, the carpenter knows joinery because I don't have any nails around.

And we don't have any ball bearings... How the heck do we make a potter's kick wheel without ball bearings? Ball bearings are really just balls that rotate inside a housing, so we need a housing and something that rotates, like a cylinder! Cylinders are awesome! We can create a small housing at the bottom of the kick wheel to house a series of cylinders to support the rotation of the kick plate itself. It's all coming together.

"Perhaps the emotionally attuned eyes were unnecessary. Kira appears quite expressive in her thoughts."

"No, she just gets like this when she's thinking about something. We just need to appreciate that she isn't surrounded by houses right now, since she doesn't notice when her horns impale things, like trees or houses, while deep in thought."

"I can hear you, jerks. I'm not that inattentive..."

It's possible I might be, but we have pottery wheels to make, so I'm gonna ignore that and redirect my attention! With a talon, I begin drawing the parts we need in the cobbled street. We'll need a base table for sure, and a large wheel for the kick plate, then a smaller one to hold the clay. The rod to connect the two could be either wood or metal, I'd prefer metal, but I don't know how much of that we have.

The kick plate should have some weight to it, but we can just start with a circular wooden platform.

"Were you a potter in your past life, Kira? I would not expect a commoner of any world to have the knowledge to create such a contraption from memory, much less should they be unfamiliar with the craft."

"No, but my mom took me to a pottery class once and got that mom annoyed where she's happy that I'm happy, but this isn't why we went to a class. I ended up spending three hours inspecting and learning about the different potter's wheels instead of making something. The teacher's partner even took me to see some of the older wheels they had bought for their exhibit! It was fantastic! I wasn't allowed to touch those. They were too old and I was a messy kid."

It also sounds like Merciferus hasn't done a lot of talking to travelers. If I'm anything to go by, there are a lot of simple things that could have been brought to this world, but with that jerk Ilantus standing in the way, that's not happening. It would be very interesting to see what the local craftsfolk could end up making with a few things from my world. I'm sure they're crafty enough to figure out anything I could make without any other requirements.

"Not to interrupt your... artistic expression carved into the streets, Kira, but didn't you just tell us that you weren't allowed to share knowledge?"

Admittedly, that is true, but Merciferus is right there and hasn't stopped me, so I'm taking that as tacit approval. And this isn't very complex stuff, so it has to be somewhere in the world already. More important than that, I thought I was drawing these circles and rectangles small, but seeing Lauren step over them makes my poor sense of scale obvious.

"Your worries are not warranted. This contraption appears to be what is used in the eastern continent, so the world knows of it already. Though your worries on the matter reappearing are odd. Might I ask you why you've become anxious with regard to Kira's knowledge?"

That sounds like a trap to me. If either of us explains that the jerk god Ilantus is punishing people who share knowledge, it might be blasphemous and get us punished. And he does not sound like the slap on the scales kind of guy. Granted I haven't heard much about him.

Lauren explains pretty well, going over the same risk of blasphemy that I suspect might happen, but...

"I still think it's rude. If I wanted to teach someone how gears work, I should be able to. What's the difference between me being Foreman's teacher or someone else teaching him the same things? If anything, it seems wildly inconsistent to me. I know a little about electricity and we have copper, but I can't teach people. Empowering people with dragon magic and suffusing the entire region appears to not cause problems, but don't I dare create a basic motor. In my old world, we taught children how to do that, for fun! It's dumb that I can't teach adults. And the electricity is already here if Tiffy is anyone to go by."

On the other hand, I might have already put something like that in the works, judging by Tiffy's story about electrocuting someone. If she keeps exploring conductivity, she might stumble onto electromagnets and then we're cooking. Just gonna go ahead and not share that with anyone for now. Lauren seems to be staring at me with clear suspicion in her eyes, but I haven't done anything she needs to worry about.

"Kira, I can tell you're being deceptive. Your eyes have changed color again. What aren't you saying?"

"Dang mood eyes! Pfft, it's a secret for now, but it isn't anything bad. But it's possible that I've already set something in motion without intending to, and I kinda wanna prod at it to see what happens."

"Fine, but if you get in trouble, I'll be the first to laugh at you."

That seems fair, but I'm not getting the impression that she respects this Ilantus person all that much.

"Merciferus, how do you feel about travelers sharing knowledge? I was told you were fine with it, but then how come you and Mairleark don't stand up to this knowledge bully?"

"Why do you bring up Mairleark, Kira? I was not aware of your familiarity with the Pantheon."

"Joras mentioned her."

Technically true, but not in a manner prudent to this conversation. I'm not sure Merciferus is buying it, though, since she's chuckling at me.

"You are a poor liar, but no matter. To stand up to Ilantus in his domain would demand that we strike him down. And the world cannot handle the loss of more Gods, so we must not fight ourselves as greater foes stand at the ready to strike, should we appear weak. Though I do see the foolishness of not applying the knowledge of Travelers to our world. Not just for the beneficial aspects it will bring, but to avoid the pitfalls of advancements. Many poisonous things in nature are convenient to use, yet the price for such convenience will be paid by generations. The key to avoid such a fate lies at our fingertips, yet we cannot reach it..."

Okay, well, that's a little more than I had expected to get. The Pantheon not being a monolith is definitely interesting. Hearing it from the other Kira was one thing, but with Merciferus making it very clear. And with that, it might be possible to get help with loopholes, or have any sort of punishment be delivered by her, since she's more likely to not hurt me too much.

Although the risk of pitting other gods against her feels like a bad thing, I think I might have to set up some sort of system to goad people into exploring things, like telling Foreman that whatever he's making could be better. That might be a bit mean, but if I'm being prevented from honestly telling folks how to do something, I have to be subtle about it. And since I'm close to my den...

"TIFFY! How come the sword helps you with your magic?!"

"I don't know! It just does!"

I didn't expect her to shout back, but that's extra helpful.

"Try some things out to figure out how it works!"

"I will!"

That's a fantastic start, and I'm sure she'll figure something out, especially if she tries other metals. I might have to set Foreman up to meet her since he seems like a curious fellow, and I'm sure the two of them could come up with something clever.

"Kira, it's obvious that you're scheming. Even Merciferus can tell."

"I do not like how you phrased that, champion."

I do, and I also like how Lauren is blushing as a wave of embarrassment overwhelms her. I'm not the only blasphemer around!

"No, it would appear my champion has become quite the heretic. Perhaps punishment is in order."

"Ooh! Yeah, let's punish her!"

"Stay away from me, you monsters!"

With rapid movements, I bring my head down to Lauren before whipping out my tongue and snagging her legs. Pulling her off the ground, she dangles with her head down, which is an opportunity Merciferus seizes in an instant. With the most mischievous smile I've ever seen, the goddess pulls Lauren's shirt down and steps closer.

"This is a most devious strategy taught to me by a fearsome Dragon!"

The effect of her cruel tactics is clear as Lauren bursts out laughing.

"Stop! Stop! I can't- I can't breathe!"

Merciferus is copying my tricks and tickling her! At least she's using them for a good purpose: teasing Lauren. And the results speak for themselves as Lauren tries her best to wiggle loose, but I'm far too good at restraining people for her to escape!

"Let your punishment sear itself into your mind, my champion!"

With her very best flailing, Lauren tries to stop Merciferus, but it isn't working at all. The weird goddess continues her assault, tickling Lauren until she's practically crying.

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"Stop! I mean it! I can't take it anymore!"

This is certainly fun, but it sounds like Lauren has had enough, so of course I begin lowering her to the ground. After getting in a few more tickles, Merciferus takes hold of Lauren's arm and wraps it around her own shoulder, helping Lauren stand as I do my best to aim her feet toward the ground by twisting my tongue.

"The two of you are the worst people I've ever met... By the Gods, I could barely breathe..."

"With fortune on our side, neither Kira nor I would be considered people among your species, so we do not qualify for being the worst people you've met. Rather, I propose that Kira is the best Dragon with myself being the best Goddess you've met."

I see no flaw in that logic. In fact, I'm the best dragon I've met! Not a long list of competitors, but I think I'm doing very well to deserve the spot. That reminds me!

"Merciferus, remember when I met that other dragon and you wouldn't stop laughing at Lauren, so she had to seek shelter in my veil of magic? What did the other dragon say? I think it was something like Ulaunu bolferer or whatever, but I don't know what it means."

In response to my very reasonable questions, Merciferus struggles to hold back laughter, which hints at how she still finds the exchange funny.

"He wished to mate with you, Kira. By Lauren's description, he performed a mating dance to display the weight of his crop. The words he spoke, Ulau Nui Bolfer er, are a request to breed. Though you turned him down in no uncertain terms!"

Oh... Well, I wouldn't have been up for that, and I'm still not up for that. I don't even know how it works! Well, I know how it works for humans, but dragons?

"That sounds a bit rude of me, and I can't even apologize."

"You would not need to. Dragons are known to be ferocious, even among their own. The risks taken were his to take, and the fate that befell him rests with him. I believe your dwarven friend might offer you insight into your nature and social rituals."

Speaking of friends, I did send someone to fetch a carpenter and a potter. It's been quite a while and we haven't been approached yet. Turning my head, I face the direction of- There's a pair of goblins that look a lot like the exact kinds of goblins I was asking for. I sure hope they haven't been standing there for a long time... It's an old lady with a leather apron caked in clay and a young man with a toolbelt. His hammer appears to be made of that magic bronze folks keep calling Dragon's Gold.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were here already. Next time, you can just interrupt us and make yourselves known. That way, you don't have to wait around for no reason."

"Kira, they're not going to interrupt you, of all people, especially when you're talking to a literal Goddess."

"I'm sure Merciferus doesn't mind. She wants to get started on this pottery business as well. Right?"

"I do find myself fascinated by the prospect of engaging in your whimsical and unpredictable nature. And your people do not need to treat me any differently than they would one of their own, I am merely a guest in your fair town. One who is most impressed by your hospitality and kindness."

Proving again that she's an odd one, Merciferus performs a shallow bow to my goblins, the sight giving Lauren chills. But I like that my goblins are being treated well. They deserve it for being tiny, incredible people.

Appearing unsure of what to do with the bowing goddess, the two goblins instead crane their necks to look up at me. That's my cue!

"I drew these sketches, and these are wooden parts for the support table. We need some sort of long dowel to work as the wheel shaft to move energy from the kick plate to the throwing surface. The kick plate has to have some weight, so it can turn on its own, but not so much that you can't stop it without getting injured. We also need to get the grumpy blacksmith in on it to make some tools for it, I think. Do you have tools for it, or do you just use your hands?"

The carpenter guy seems to be inspecting the boards I've drawn with quite an intense glare. Another guy with a thinking brow, I'm sure. Watching him walk around the drawings makes it extra clear that I'm not great at scale, since the legs of the support table are twice as big as him. Goblins would have to climb the dang thing to use it. Humans would have to climb the dang thing to use it! We definitely need to make it smaller.

"I can make this."

"Can you make it smaller? And several? We need one for Merciferus and Lauren each, and however many our pottery department wants."

He doesn't do much replying, instead, he crosses his arms and starts nodding as he wanders off. Everyone in this dang town is a rude weirdo. I didn't even explain everything yet! What about the ball bearing replacements or basic safety instructions? Geez, I hope he knows what he's doing.

No time for that! I have another goblin to instruct. Turning my attention to the potter earns me a bright smile, which means that she deserves a nudge! I don't even know her name or the name of the carpenter. I need to get better at knowing people.

"What's your name?"

"Olfie. And that was Nazan. So what's all this? I don't make wooden things."

As I begin to explain the basics of throwing pottery, Olfie's curiosity grows and she seems quite keen on trying out these wheels. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about how to actually do it, since I never paid all that much attention to it, but I hope it's enough for Olfie to run with it and make a proper technique herself. On top of not being sure of the actual technique, I'd need a hecking huge potter's wheel to demonstrate. We can't dedicate that many resources to a demonstration!

For now, I'll have to settle for my sketch and explain each part. The kick plate, of course, just needs to be kicked until it reaches a proper speed. Once it gets going, she has to take her feet off it and start throwing the clay. Don't do both at the same time, since that just leads to mistakes with your brain trying to perform conflicting actions.

"So, under the kick plate, we will have these rolling pins to allow it to continue spinning after you kick it a few times. There are other ways to do it, like a treadle, but we can look into that in the future. For now, we'll focus on this one. And we need some sort of lubrication to make sure the kick plate turns without issue, but we can use all sorts of things for that. You'll need to lubricate it frequently until we figure out a better solution. Maybe Joras has ideas, or Foreman. Ooh, maybe we can have some sort of magic involved to make it extra incredible! You can even bother Lily about those symbols she loves carving so much! Wait, no. She's probably sleeping right now, so you'll have to bother her tonight when she's rested."

Olfie appears to be quite interested in this contraption, making me wonder how they've been making pottery until now. Making a vase only using your hands sounds like a lot of work, and how would that even get even? I don't know, and I'd ask Olfie about it, but she seems to be leaving as well. Calling out to her, I ask where she's going, causing her to turn around with a grin.

"I have an idea! I'm gonna make a small turny thing!"

Ooh, a manual turntable perhaps. She gets it, probably. Making everything by hand is certainly doable, but it would be a lot harder to train apprentices in the craft, and things are more likely to turn out uneven or crack when they're fired. At least as far as my mom used to complain about. I guess necessity and skill would solve a lot of that, though.

But more importantly, with my goblins being so quick and willing to try new things, I can definitely circumvent any stupid restrictions on my knowledge-sharing! And a potter's wheel is a fantastic start because it's simple, but the parts can be used for so many other things! Soon, we'll have windmills and other mechanical things! Screw you, weird knowledge god, and screw your limiting ideas!

"Do you think all this is wise, Kira?"

"Worry not, my champion. Continue your prayers, and I will be able to keep an eye on her. Keep any transgressions mild, Kira, and I will be able to step in as your watcher."

Heck yeah! We've got Merciferus on our team for sure! I have no idea what this watcher business is, though.

"What's a watcher? Do you just keep watch and tell me not to do things?"

"We will continue as we have, though you will have to listen when I tell you to stop certain actions. Is that agreeable?"

I don't know... Doing what I'm told isn't one of my strengths, but having a god's support in being a menace is tempting...

"Since I'm a very reasonable dragon, I'm gonna give you a heads up that I am not good at listening to instructions, but I do like the sound of this whole thing. That being said, aren't you interfering more than you're supposed to? Or have you just dropped any pretense of hiding it?"

"An astute observation. It is my belief that I am capable of skirting the edge of passable deniability, though I find my contempt for the accord growing ever stronger as I continue to mingle with mortals. I am beginning to doubt our righteousness as we so often stand in the way of mortals when we are the caretakers of this world."

Geez, that sounds like she's experiencing a bit of a crisis when it comes to her beliefs. And that my goblins are so adorable that they're garnering sympathy from a very powerful being. We might have to build a house for her, in case she wants to stick around or visit regularly. I don't mind that at all. If anything, Merciferus seems to be getting nicer and, most of the time, she's having a good time, so she's definitely welcome here. We have to be responsible, though.

"It's not a bad idea for you to find yourself, but be careful not to try to do everything all at once. Start small and go from there, but keep an eye on yourself, so you don't overdo it. Like me, I started out making one friend, Raya, and then grew from there, focusing on learning about myself and others as I-."

"You are not a good example of not overdoing it, Kira."

For some reason, Lauren interjects with some nonsensical gibberish, but I'm confident that I've kept my impulses pretty well under control, all things considered. Never mind that, I'm being supportive and that's what I'd imagine Merciferus needs. We're in her corner, like she's in ours. And if anyone tries to stop us, we'll do our darn best to stop them in return! And most importantly, Lauren gets a puff of smoke for interrupting me in such a rude manner.

"So ignoring Lauren, I think the best thing for you, Merciferus, is to take some time to find yourself. You're welcome to stick around here and make some friends. Joras might have an extra bed you can borrow; he's a tall guy, so his home might be able to accommodate your wings."

"I appreciate your welcoming nature and lack of hesitation, Kira, but I do have a home."

"Well, I'd like to visit you sometime, then. Before that, though, I need to find the Shae and ask about the Nothing, since that seems important. On top of that, I'd like to ask that abomination guy if he can cast his dragon-shrinking spell on Tuiran. And I need to ask the Shadow Man what he wants to do now that he isn't a spooky shadow anymore. Hopefully he isn't upset that I kinda forgot about him when we left. I might have to add an apology for that mistake."

"You are not meant to know of the Nothing, Kira, nobody is. I need to know how you managed to learn of it. Now."

Geez, tonal shift. I don't see the problem here, but I do give Merciferus a retelling of what happened on the Friendship island. Including the deal the other me made and how I did a good job finding Joras and Lily. Either she doesn't like what happened or I'm terrible at telling stories, but she looks somewhat upset about the whole thing. And it doesn't help at all when I mention that I was apparently created by it because a different me named it. In fact, she's so upset about the whole thing that she looks afraid... With a supportive nudge, I ask the only appropriate question.

"Are you okay?"

"No. I am not okay. No one is okay. You have awoken a cataclysm beyond anything the world can handle, Kira. I thought we had time to prevent it... Do you know where the Nothing resides? What form it has taken? Anything at all?"

"No, not really. I only know that a different me made a deal with it and now I'm here. And that the Shae knows what it is, but I'm gonna find her anyway, so I can just look into sorting that out as well. And if the deal is that I have to be happy for a bunch of years, then that limits the Nothing's actions, right? I wouldn't be happy if the world ended. In fact, I might even find that upsetting."

"That cannot possibly be the answer... There can be not way for a simple deal such as yours to restrict its movements to such a degree..."

I don't know any of that, but it does seem like the Nothing is pretty invested in me doing my thing. Wait, does that make me the cataclysm by proxy? I hope not. That wouldn't be great for my reputation, and I haven't caused that much destruction yet. Wait, no, not 'yet,' I'm not gonna cause a bunch of destruction. I'm a well-behaved dragon of helpfulness.

Instead of believing in me, Merciferus turns her attention to Lauren, asking what her thoughts on the matter are, and right from the start, I'm not feeling the support I should.

"We can worry about it, or we can see what happens. I'm not saying Kira doesn't make sense, but, yeah... she doesn't make sense. She's attacked several people and turned them into friends. Tuiran is becoming a prosperous trade hub. Goblins are being accepted by the Guild. And she has caused and then destroyed an attack on Esfjord."

"Esfjord wasn't my fault. The attack was happening anyway, I just sparked it a little bit."

Instead of accepting my very reasonable argument about my innocence, Lauren laughs at me and points out that I didn't deny the other things... They're good things, dang it! And it makes sense to make friends!

I do wonder if this Nothing thing is evil, though. I recall either the other Kira or the Shae mentioning that it wanted to consume everything, but I can kinda relate to that. Things are delicious, but that doesn't mean I want to eat everything right now, since then I'd run out of treats. Maybe it's the same for the Nothing and it's just a natural force. I'll just ask it if I meet it, that seems a lot simpler than speculating and being afraid.

Oh, another important thing now that I'm thinking about friends. I should make sure Foreman feels welcome. I was a bit harsh with him, and I could have handled that situation better. It wasn't great that he was yelling, but telling people to either step in line or leave isn't okay either. And since I'm here, I should do that before something else comes up. But before that, I should tell Merciferus that things are going to be fine, which I'm confident they will be. And if not, I'm gonna burn some crap until they are. Undead are very flammable.

"Merciferus, things will be okay. If we work together, we can make sure of it, and if the Nothing is making deals, that means it can be reasoned with, and that means we probably don't have to fight it. And if a human lifespan isn't enough happiness to fulfill the deal, then that means we have like at least a hundred years to figure something out, right? Not exactly a rush job."

She doesn't look convinced, but, to me, a hundred years is a long time. Although if the Nothing is multidimensional, then it might be a problem if someone in another world ends up doing something weird. I'm just gonna go ahead and not point that out for now.

"Perhaps. Our current affairs do have a sense of urgency that the Nothing does not. We cannot let the undead gain a foothold beyond the dead sands. You and Lauren must establish a connection with the Guild to bolster your forces and seek out the champion of Terragaraem. Both would be invaluable in the coming battles, but the champion of Terragaraem will need your help first to counter the siege this year."

"Point to Kira! We've already done one of those! I'm sure Branchy Tae will help if I ask. She likes me, and we have an agreement to help each other. Geez, I'm on a freakin' roll with these tasks. Although with the other part, I'm not getting a point just yet. I have no idea who the other champion is. Are they nice?"

"I did not think you had such a connection with the Branch Leader. Lauren, I believe you told me that she was fearful of Kira."

She was a little afraid of me, but I still think we ended up as friends. And I got paid, so that's even better. Ooh, I hope I get paid for more jobs. I can always use more well-paid jobs, especially when all I have to do is eat a bunch of treats.

"What about my question? Is the champion nice?"

"She is not. Her ferocity and strength reverberate through legend as does her relentless pursuit of carnage. She has become a beacon of hope for her tireless violence, breaking through the ranks of undead year after year, leaving naught but shattered bones in her wake. If you cannot reason with her, retreat and I will explain our circumstances to her."

That sounds easy. All I have to do is not get into trouble. With that settled, I can head on over to see what Foreman is doing, and Merciferus and Lauren can go have a drink to calm their nerves. Merciferus has done a good job of pulling herself together after learning that the shard of Nothing has already been named, but she still looks quite stressed. I didn't mean to upset her, but it feels like something that needed to be mentioned.

Turning my attention to a nearby guard, I ask her if she's willing to guide Merciferus to a tavern with booze, and she happily complies. Without a care in the world, the guard approaches and takes Merciferus' hand before pulling her away with Lauren giving me a wave before following. That's another problem solved! I deserve another point.

Now to figure out what Foreman is up to and hope that he hasn't caused a commotion working with our blacksmith, Knotten. I shouldn't be too big to get there, but I hope those streets are among the ones being expanded. I'd prefer having a good amount of paths to walk on in case the shrinking thing doesn't work out.