Tribulations of a Dragon

Both Lauren and I will have to keep an eye on Merciferus now. Experiencing a major change in how you see the world like that is never easy, and it certainly isn't something I intended to happen for her. But I might be a little selfish because I'm not unhappy about it happening, in fact, I'm a little happy that she appears to be growing more independent and willing to help us. We will need to make sure she doesn't cause any hurt to herself in the process, though.

Rather than focus on that, since we need time to see how Merciferus handles it, I'm gonna focus on who the heck all these people are! Since I got here, the square has been populated by busy goblins, but as I wander into the streets, the diversity grows and there are all sorts of folks here. That's not new, but the amount of them is. So many humans, and a bunch of scalefolk, elves, and dwarves.

We're being overrun by traders and tourists! At least my goblins seem to be handling it quite well as I walk through the streets. The scent of fear is palpable as the folks unaccustomed to me try to figure out what to do! But my goblins keep being fantastic by springing into action and showing the tourists how to avoid getting stepped on by a dragon!

Geez, I need to control myself. All these tantalizing scents of fear, money, and people are a little overwhelming, but the way my people mingle with the visitors is fantastic. Any sort of dark past appears to be forgotten as they share treats and laughs. I want treats...

I'm not gonna butt in any more than I need to for now. Especially since I need to be careful not to crush any of these dang wagons littering the streets! If Lauren was here, I'd have her check them for goodies, but she's busy being responsible for a god... At least the broader streets are really helpful now that I'm even bigger, so dodging people's property isn't too much trouble.

Given the state of these houses, it feels like I've been gone for months, but I haven't. My goblins are just so dang industrious! The whole street is filled with decorated houses, marked by beautifully carved flowers and trees. As far as I can tell, they share my understanding of finished: there's always a little more to add.

Even now, some are working to add more depictions of the world around them to their houses, hanging from ropes tied to posts along the roofs. Some even squish the glowy mushrooms into the ridges, so I'm gonna have to come back at night to see them light up.

Most of the artwork takes the shape of dragons; some even look like me, but I can't tell if the ones that don't are because of artistic expression or the goblins in question not being great at etching. Nevertheless, the fact that they're doing it is fantastic! I want all the art throughout my town, and if we can get some colors in as well, then that would be even better. A shame that we might have to wait with coloring everything, since dyes are likely to be expensive in a world like this. I could just find out whether they are or not.

A fuzzy little guy standing in front of me makes for a great target for my inquiries. He doesn't stand out too much, wearing simple cloth pants, a shirt, and a leather overcoat, but that shirt is blue! And I'm reasonably confident that it has been dyed! A quite lovely blue, too, but most of his shirt is hidden under his overcoat. He doesn't smell the richest around here, but I have a good feeling about him.

"You, guy with the wagon and the cute, fuzzy ears. How expensive are dyes?"

Admittedly, I probably shouldn't have pointed at him, since that seems to have made him even more afraid if his ears flicking back are any indication. Singling him out in a crowd can't have been good for him, but he seems to be gathering his courage as one of my goblins steps up to him and takes his hand. Her lovely dress seems to be a design I haven't seen around here before. It's simple and brown, knee-length, and without sleeves. It suits her quite well, making her green skin stand out and reminding me of a garden with her red irises being lovely roses.

"Uhm... Depends on the color and region. The... uh, the blue dyes of the north are expensive in the south, but cheap and commonly used for clothes and paint in the northern hills."

Cheap and expensive aren't a lot to go on, but if a trader considers it cheap, then it might be worth looking-

"Don't waste your time with common rabble! You must seek the advice of a skilled merchant, such as I! Allow me to introduce myself. I am the famous Foni-"

Blah blah blah. That's enough of that. I'm just gonna go ahead and grab him and put him up on this roof while I talk to the timid trader instead. I can't have pompous gasbags interrupting my conversations, but I can't deal with him in a violent manner if we want Tuiran to become part of the greater world. Tempting as it is to just make him go away. And since I want more information from someone I actually want to talk to, I turn my head back to the nice trader.

"Do you know the going rates of these dyes? I'd like some more color around here, since brown clay is a bit-"

"I will not accept such offense from a simple beast! My lineage has stood tall and proud, bringing trade throughout this continent! I will have the respect I am owed, and you will listen to me!"

I'm gonna have to ask the Shae if there's a world out there without entitled jerks... For now, I seem to be forced to deal with this situation. The well-dressed weirdo continues his rant about how important he is, but as far as I can tell, no one cares. I know how I want to make him shut up, but... I'd prefer not to scare everyone else here, except him. I do want to scare him, since he's getting on my nerves.

"Do you know what people like you have in common with adventurers?"

"I will not be debased by being associated with those filthy-"

As he yammers on, I move my head close to him, making sure he has no excuse for not understanding which one of us has power here.

"Your bones crunch so pleasantly between my teeth."

It's a shame that I only chew in self-defense; otherwise, he'd make a nice treat, but I can't go around eating folks for being jerks. At least my ploy seems to work, as the sweet scent of a scared human becomes much more intense.

"Kira, calm down. You're getting angry, and you don't want to break the new buildings, right?"

I didn't even try to contact Lauren, so how the heck does she know I'm getting angry at this jerk?

"How the heck do you know I'm getting angry?!"

"We have a deep connection, and I know you well enough to know when you're upset. And Merciferus told me that you're affecting the magical stability around us, which may drive people into a frenzy. So calm down."

Yeah, I don't want that. With all this effort I'm putting into behaving, it would be a bit inconvenient if I drove my people into a frenzy. Although... I guess it depends on what kind of frenzy it is, given that Lauren didn't mention anything about how it works. A cleaning frenzy wouldn't be unwelcome, but a construction frenzy might bring sloppy work, and that's dangerous.

The focus right now needs to be not lashing out. It's just an irrelevant jerk who smells deliciously wealthy, and the real people we need to deal with are the regular traders like Timidy. That name doesn't sound right, but 'shy' already ends with a Y. Modesty also doesn't work, because that's just a word... I seem to have a challenge on my hands! He's bashful, but Bashy feels more like Punchy instead of bashful. Dang it! Most words describing his timid nature won't work! Meeky is too close to Mikey, and everything else that I can think of is too long... Oh! Timorous! Timmy the Timorous! That'll work!

Turning to face the tiny trader again causes him to tense up, but he'll get used to me eventually.

"Timmy, don't pay that jerk any mind. So, dyes. I want some colors for the town, so my goblins can start really expressing themselves artistically. Do you think you could get some at a reasonable price?"

His ears keep lying down, and I suspect I might have frightened him a little. His courage appears to be harder to wrangle this time around, but the little goblin keeps a tight grasp on his hand as she waves me closer. Lowering my head to her, she pats my chin a few times.

"See? She's nice if you're nice. And you're nice, but that one up there is very rude."

Being so close to me doesn't seem to sit well with Timmy, but he doesn't resist his guide as she brings his hand to pat me as well. That might be a freeze response more than acceptance, but it's a start.

A larger man, in width, comes through the crowd and I can't tell whether he's a short giant or a giant short guy, but he reminds me of a short Punchy. His clothes indicate that he's quite well-off, like the roof jerk. But as he reaches Timmy, he smacks the scaredy cat on the back, nearly toppling him before releasing his booming voice. With a sturdy arm wrapping around Timmy's shoulders, the two of them turn their back to me and huddle up.

"Boy! You are offered a contract, so stand tall and listen to the terms! A Dragon must be rich, so, as a merchant, you must want to partake in those riches!"

"But what if she eats me?! What if she's displeased with the goods I bring?"

That seems like a fair worry, but Boomy seems to find it quite funny as his laughter rings through the street at an uncomfortable volume.

"And what if a noble puts you to the gallows? What if you are made a slit ear by an unruly lord? What if bandits waylay your convoy during your travels? Letting such things stand in your way will leave your pouch empty. Keep your wits about you and know that dealing with oddities is at the heart of the mercantile world! Trust that you can learn what your patron wants so that you may acquire it! For a fee!"

He does seem quite confident, even though he's trying his best to hide the underlying fear rolling off him. Timmy seems to be getting his share of that bravado, with a second wind perking him right up. With a hand raised with confidence, he immediately deflates and confers with Boomy, as the two huddle up. To give them some space, I raise my head as I sit down and wait for them to settle on a strategy.

"How do I do this? I trade in grains and furs. Most of my work is through the Guild, so I don't negotiate!"

"Hah! Boy, keep your eyes on her and show interest. Hear what she says and don't be afraid to ask questions or demand clarity."

"Oh, he shouldn't make demands, I don't do well with demands."

"She doesn't do well with demands, so should I ask for clarity politely?"

"Correct, boy! You must tailor your dealings to the patron! But do not let yourself be taken advantage of! Many seek to exploit an inexperienced trader, so we should always be vigilant as the dangers of our business lie on both sides of the walls!"

They discuss a few more details of how to handle me, and I do appreciate that Boomy is too loud to whisper, so I can hear everything they say. So far, he seems like an honest sort, which is nice.

Looking around, I'm a little surprised that so few people have left the area, especially after my thinly veiled threat to eat the roof jerk. My best guess is that my goblins are keeping things under control with their confidence in me not being a threat.

"Now, step forward with an air of comfort and confidence. Listen to her wants, but do not let yourself be pushed aside. You are both seeking profit, and both must be satisfied after the dealings. So, what do you need to do first?"

"Uhm... Find out what she wants?"

"Right you are, Timmy, my boy! We know she has interest in dyes, so use that and seek more knowledge! Which dyes? For what purposes? Where can you source them? All this is knowledge you must acquire before profit will be yours!"

"My name isn't Timmy..."

With his barely whispered objections out of the way, the brute spins them around again, leaving Timmy without much to do but follow as his feet leave the ground. Finding his footing, Timmy takes a step forward and puffs out his chest. He looks quite well prepared, if it wasn't for his ears doing their best scalp impression.

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"Greetings, Dragon. I.... My name is Mullian and I have come to trade. I travel between Arrenfret to the east and Neerfret to the north. I...-"

Taking a break from his spiel, he turns to Boomy and talks in a somewhat panicked voice.

"-What do I say?! I don't know how to do this!"

"You just say, 'Hey Kira, my name is Kira. I don't actually go around being like, 'I am Dragon! Bring me goodies!' So you just go, 'Hey Kira, I'd like to do business with you. I'm traveling to the north sometimes, which works out since I know you want dyes, and they have this lovely dye that I could bring down here in bulk.' It's that easy."

For some reason, a plague of mischievous smiles is spreading among my goblins as they become infected with some sort of snickering disease while staring at me... We'll have to get to the bottom of this outbreak later, that's for sure.

"Uh, hey Kira. I would like to do business with you."

He ends up repeating what I said, which feels a little awkward, but it does serve to get this started. Turns out he remembers that I asked for numbers because he starts rattling off a bunch of them while talking about bushels and vials, and talking about some yellow plant becoming blue dye. I'm not familiar with a plant-based blue dye, but it sounds like Timmy has dealt with it before! At least enough to have an idea of the price.

And it turns out that the price isn't outrageous! According to both Timmy and the mumbling crowd, the dye plant grows like a weed and it's quite plentiful, but the problem is that it can rot. So they have to process it to create a pigment that can be stored, but that also increases the price by a significant amount. A simple bushel costs a dozen copper coins, but once it's been processed, the dye costs two gold coins for...

"How much could you buy with two gold coins?"

"That would be a barrel for two gold. My wagon can hold six barrels, and I would need a commission as well to cover food and safety."

That's not expensive at all! It does depend on the size of the barrel, since that's a bit of a vague term, so how much does a barrel weigh? Geez, these people need standardized units of measurement. At least I'm not getting the impression that Timmy is dishonest, doubly so because of our spectators agreeing with him.

Timmy's guide seems to wonder what the purpose of this dye trading is, but before I get a chance to explain myself, Timmy opens his overcoat wide to show off his blue shirt.

"These clothes were dyed with the northern blue, and the dye can be used for pottery or walls, too! In Arrenfret, the temple of Terragaeram has its ceiling painted to display a fierce battle against the great evil of the world, Karvoric the all-consuming ooze, fighting for the lives of us mortals. And the colors! Such a magnificent use of dyes to make the intensity of the battles clear to anyone who has the honor of seeing the work!"

I kinda wanna see this painting now. Although...

"Lauren, it was three great evils, right? This guy just mentioned Karvoric, but you mentioned the Dead King and the Abomination, right?"

"Yeah. There are three that I know of: Karvoric the Great Slime, the Dead King who rallies his forces against the living, and the Abomination, whose defeat created the Pale Sands. Most people don't know about the Abomination, which I now realize should have clued me in on me being a champion... By the Hells, Kira! Now I feel dumb for not realizing it... Oh, Lauren, it isn't suspicious at all that you're receiving secretive knowledge and training, or that a Goddess seems to have a particular interest in empowering your spells. Nooo... Don't read into that at all. Nooo, those are perfectly normal circumstances that any little girl experiences."

Okay, well, Lauren seems to be spiraling a little. I'll just leave her to that while I get back to our dye business. And it seems like Timmy understands what I'm going for, which is a great start! Another great start is that it seems other traders are taking the opportunity to take notes by carving small sticks of wood as they mumble among each other about what sort of goods to try buying. There's a mumbled flurry of ideas, but blue dye is reserved for Timmy!

And... I really should know the name of his guide. She seems enthusiastic about this whole thing as well, and I could at least make that much effort. So, with a gentle nudge, I ask her what her name is.

"Gidia! I'm good at trading and making coin! Just ask anyone, except Jarna, Knotten, Joras, Lily, Kanen, Turo, Brahan, Mako-"

Her introduction has become a list of names, a bunch of which I do recognize, and how I'm not supposed to ask them about her money-making schemes. I suspect I should definitely ask a few of them. And I was heading for Knotten already, so he seems like an excellent person to ask first.

She's still going with the names, and it seems to me that she could have avoided that by not telling me to ask anyone. Can't be helped now, but I'm gonna go back to sorting out this business deal.

"While Gidia lists the entire town, I think we should conclude our deal for now, Timmy. She mentioned Knotten, and I was reminded that I did come this way for business other than encouraging trade. But I'd like to buy a bunch of this blue dye from you, in pigment form, so I don't have to deal with rotting, and at a discount for buying in bulk. How does that sound? I do want to make sure we both end up happy with the deal, though, and I won't eat you for offering your opinion or disagreeing with me."

Point to Timmy for being a lot more comfortable around me. It doesn't stop him from being a bit jumpy as I get up, but it's getting a lot better. And Boomy is quick to take the opportunity to swoop in and encourage Timmy as well. The broader man focuses on Timmy, telling him to agree to a loose deal for now, so the details can be finalized later. The short giant appears to have the belief that fixed deals are a lot better than chancing it by buying goods in one place and hoping they'll be profitable in some faraway place.

As I step over my new dye trader, I encourage him to find Gidia again if he needs help. She seems to have a good grasp of who to deal with around here and she's one of mine, so I believe I can trust her.

This whole thing seems to have been a great exercise in socializing, and the subtle scent of fear agrees with me. Some folks are still afraid, but nowhere near what it was like when I first showed up, so I'm sure the folks visiting are seeing that I'm not an unreasonable monster.

I'm gonna consider that a huge success, so I hope that I'll have another success story when I visit Knotten and Foreman.

My walk through the street isn't met with much resistance as people step away from my path, but the visitors seem weirdly comfortable. Maybe Lauren is right about me being loud if they've heard me from all the way over there. I'm several streets away and people seem more curious and cautious than afraid. It's a good thing, but it feels odd.

Never mind that! I have a dwarf to show a trick! Keeping a steady pace brings me to the familiar smell of heat, burning coals, and valuable metal. It's so much easier to find the blacksmith when I can just see over the buildings. The narrowing streets do make me appreciate the expansion of the main road as I'm having to mind my belly so it doesn't swing out and smash someone's home whenever I take a few steps.

As I approach the blacksmith, a familiar human comes out to... disappear back into the blacksmith... That's a little rude; he didn't even say hello. But he slammed the door, which is an excellent opportunity for me to knock! Getting a bit closer, I raise my talon and prepare to knock with as much care as I can manage, and-

"Jarna! Y'cannae stay 'fraid o' the fuckin' Dragon! Yer livin' 'er den, an' y'gonna meet 'er! Aye, Kira, wha'd'ya need?"

The door swings open again and Foreman steps out, bare arms showing his muscles and a leather apron as all that stands between him and the fire of the forge.

"He isn't afraid of me, just a little traumatized. But I came to apologize for the whole eviction threat. That wasn't okay, so I'm sorry for doing it."

"Bah! Yer fine. Me anger got tae me 'ead an' I ain't pride-bound. I shouldnae have shouted like a piss-poor forgemaster whose 'prentice cocks up their work. Nay, t'hell wit' all that. Better fer me t'watch an' teach than scream an' shout. Lotta teachin' needed 'round 'ere, though yer gobbo smith's got me impressed. Wee fucker's got a gemstone's brightness an' he's keen as a masterwork blade. Sour little shit, though."

I think that means he likes Knotten, but it feels like mixed signals. But if they're working it out, then I've got a human, a goblin, and a dwarf working on forging for me, and that's fantastic! I'm sure the varied perspectives will end up creating something good! Unfortunately, now it's time for the bad news...

"Foreman, I've been told, in no uncertain terms... Well, there was some uncertainty, but I got the gist of it. I'm not allowed to share my knowledge anymore. So I can't keep my deal with you without your consent. So, I figure the easiest way to keep you on your toes is to have you, and anyone else who wants to join in, create as many fun things as you can, and then I will judge them."

"Don't know what yer schemin', but I ain't never kept me hands away from fire, an' I ain't startin' now! Where we startin'?"

So I definitely expected a little back and forth, but he seems to be all in right from the start, and I haven't actually prepared anything. Okay, think, Kira. What could be useful? He likes mechanical things; mechanical needs energy, energy needs to be obtained from somewhere. Steam, solar, or wind. Solar seems out of the question, so that leaves wind and steam. I'm not quite at a point where I'm comfortable building anything with steam, since that's just a bomb if you do it wrong; that leaves wind. A windmill!

I haven't seen any windmills, but the wind is easy for me to point out, so rearing up, I spread a single wing and the membrane is quickly buffeted by the wind.

"Look at my wing and think about how much I have to fight against being toppled over or being spun around."

His face turns into a deeper frown before his eyes widen, leaving me to think that he's getting it.

"How't'fuck ain't I ever thought on that?! Knotten! Jarna! We'll be needin' lumber an' leather!"

It is weird that he hasn't, since I would imagine that there are windmills somewhere, but I haven't seen any either. But I do like that Foreman appears to be settling in.

"Canvas would be better, but I don't know if we have the plants for it. Maybe Timmy knows where we can get some flax seeds for next year."

That's for long-term. Right now, Foreman is right about needing lumber. They will need to carve some shafts and gears to get mechanical energy into the blacksmith. And then they can use it for the bellows and maybe a hammer or something. I'll let them figure out what it's used for. I just know that mechanical energy was a critical component in my old world's progress. Ooh, speaking of progress!

"Foreman! I've learned how to cast a spell!"

"That can't be. Dragons ain't capable o' castin' spells. Y'got yer magic an' y'can shape it, but y'don't 'ave spells."

Okay, well, that's interesting. I didn't know my magic could be shaped. I might have to whisk Foreman away to teach me how to do that. Maybe it's possible to do things other than incinerating everything in front of me. For now, I want to show him my spell, though!

"Watch this! The first Dragon spell you've ever seen! HRALTHAR!"

As expected, a wave of venom shoots out from my mouth and coats the street, leaving-

"Don't fuckin' use me name fer yer spell o' spittle, ya overgrown fuckin' salamander! An' that ain't a fuckin' spell, t'is a speech impediment!"

"You're being a bit negative about my very obvious spellslinging skills, Foreman."

He sounds angry, but for just a moment, his frown turned into a smile and he couldn't hold back a single chuckle. I kinda like the name Spell of Spittle, and he finds it funny, even if he's trying to hide that.

"Bah! Gotta get back tae me work. Gobbo an' boyo's got some good goin', but we need tae build a better foundry. Th'ore ain't pure enough. An' ya gotta do what yer doin' 'round 'ere."

I don't really have anything to do. I wanted to apologize to Foreman, and I've done that now, which means the rest of the things I want to do involve traveling. I don't feel like traveling right now. I guess I could go check up on those people I told to make a pottery wheel or go get a snack.

"Don't cause too much trouble, Foreman."

Getting up and heading forward, I aim for the wall, but before I get a chance to leave, Foreman seems to insist on having the final word.

"Thanks fer th'words, Kira. Brings me heart warmth t'know I ain't gotta worry 'bout bein' booted from town fer me loud ways. But donnae use me name fer yer wee spell!"

With that, he walks back into the blacksmith while shaking his head in obvious approval. At least that's what I'm choosing to interpret it as.

Looking up at the sky, it becomes clear that today is not in a rush to move along as the sun indicates that it's just past noon. I'd go bother someone, but most people I'd target are asleep, leaving me without much of a goal today. I'm bored and I want to hunt, dang it! Where's a dumb adventurer to attack me when I need it to stay busy?! Stupid, unreliable adventurers...

I'm gonna find something big and kill it!

"Lauren! Point me towards something big, so I can kill it!"

"Okay... I guess you could try on the road to Margwen. Some merchants have made mention of a beast hunting around there. They aren't sure what it is, but there are very few remains left behind, and the Guild hasn't acted yet. It hunts in the forest and by the treeline, so it's too close to the hills and farmland for the people's comfort. So far, its prey has been everything it can find, boars, wolves, and deer. With something capable of standing up to wolves, it's only a matter of time before it hunts people."

Near the treeline?! That's my territory! Ooh, this guy is gonna get it!

"Wait, is that commentary on me?!"

"It wasn't, but is it wrong?"

It's wrong now, and I think I'm close to a clean slate, sort of. I'll have to ask old man Wreyn about the refugees. I haven't had any complaints, so I don't think it's a rush, which gives me plenty of time for other stuff, like hunting!

With a mission in mind, I head for the wall north-ish of me. I know I can scale it because I've done so several times before. But this time, it's been rebuilt into a clay wall instead of a palisade. And for added difficulty, I can't bump into it, otherwise, I risk Lily yelling at me for breaking her doodles.

With a steady pace and my large stride, it doesn't take long to reach the wall at all, and it does look quite sturdy. Not sturdy enough for me, but I can imagine it would keep things out quite well.

More importantly, I have a beast to hunt! So with my wings spread, I take off heading southwest! Circling around and flying over Tuiran shows just how busy it is. Almost every dang street is teeming with folks walking, talking, and pointing up in my direction. I don't have time for spectators; I have prey to find!

With a few beats of my wings, Tuiran disappears from beneath me, replaced by the familiar sprawling forest of oaks and firs. The scents of the forest reach me even up here, offering comfort and familiarity as the petrichor permeates the air. With the uncertainty of how engineered my life has been, I can't help but appreciate where I was reborn. This place is my home.

Below me, the animals of the forest spread out, trying their best to dodge my shadow as they seek shelter under branches and rocky outcroppings. I can still see you, goofballs!

But I'm not coming for you. I'm here to find some sort of dangerous critter and deal with it for altruistic reasons and not because I keep getting teased about finding exciting food.

I need to focus. The scents of the forest shift so rapidly as I fly over it. The dominant smells come from animals and trampled plants, but there's a slight hint of delicious decay. A familiar decay. I'm starting to look forward to this hunt. And, following the scent of decay as it intensifies, I suspect I'll find something juicy by finding the critter's feeding grounds.

With my scouting and flying, all I learn is that this dang scent seems to change in intensity a lot even when I fly over places I've already been. And it feels like more than just the wind. Which suggests the presence of something dead not getting that dead things shouldn't move. Unfortunately, my pondering is cut short by something impacting my throat with a light thud. It's been a while since I've been outright attacked, so this could be fun!