22nd of Ab, 119 years since megados eruption

Had a terrible hibernation this time around. Couldn't sleep properly, Kept on getting half-woken by this annoying dream where an eel was whispering something right next to my ear. That's the sort of shit I dream about when I don't sleep enough. Now that I think about it, I don't remember sleeping much last year. I got too focused.

Which transitions perfectly into what Aesmo's been up to while I was asleep. She processed almost all of the ore into dense metal dust pillars. Apparently if you heat up metal dust it sticks together like wet sand. So now we have big pillars of metal in the entrance room. It actually looks pretty beautiful.

To be honest, I realize the utter unencessity of the metal dust. It's just a byproduct of my mining. The big project last year didn't solve the problem, just postponed it. It's time to solve the issue. I have two potential solutions. One is to just trade it off to someone, the second is to make a vault.

The problem with the first solution is that anything i trade it with will itself now be something I need to deal with. There's only so much stuff to trade for, and the standard gold has no use to me. I guess I can trade for mythril, but then what? Stockpile it to sell later on? Actually I guess that'll work. Option 1; Trade for Mythril.

The second solution is to vault it all. Obvious problem of finding a good place to vault it. Secondary problem of people like Mike coming in and trying to steal it. Though I guess protecting against thieves is what vaults are for. The thing with vaults is that they limited in space, which is the problem I'm trying to solve right now. I guess this is a dead end.

So it seems like my only option that I can think of is to trade everything for mythril. With what I have right now, the amount of mythril I can buy should fit in my personal pouch, which is perfectly safe from any thieves. Yeah, this seems like a wonderful idea.

Alright, now that I'm done with that tangent, time to talk about Aesmo. Or more specifically the half dozen new centipedes in our home. Starting from least concerning, the different mandibles they have is perfectly normal. It's like horns or hair; they grow however they want, regardless of any genetic influences. The main thing to note is that they're all equally sharp, enough to cut through dragon hide. Which just means Aesmo has an army capable of harming dragons. Fuck.

Next on the concerning list, distinctive personalities. Mostly normal, except that they're clearly sapient. Even the newborns, which means their sapience isn't from consuming dragon blood, but due to Aesmo having sapience. Which technically means they're a new race of sapients. I'll let Aesmo name the race once she wakes up. I'm busy figuring out whether or not this makes me a matriarch. I hope it doesn't.

Now for the most concerning things. Desmo has fire resistance, somehow. Jesmo and Kesmo are naturally talented at making magic circles. Cesmo is either crazy or has a power I've never heard of. And Hesmo is learning to cook with dragon blood... by mixing stuff into it. That should be poisonous. Actually, it was; I had stomach pain for a whole day after eating the 'soup'. The centipedes are doing just fine though. Fuck. I'm harboring living bioweapons. What the fuck am I supposed to do about this?

 

11th of Aes, 119 years since megados eruption

I've chosen to ignore it. It's not like anyone else knows about them, and I guess it'll be easy enough to hide their more deadly capabilities. Yep, as far as anyone else will know, I'm just a normal dragon living with normal centipedes as pets. Or maybe servants considering they're doing various jobs. (What are we actually to you?) [???]

Now that I've dealt with that question, next is a new problem. Turns out the whispering dreams aren't just for hibernation. I swear am I being cursed? What kind of curse causes harmless but creepy dreams? It's making me feel anxious. (Maybe that's the goal) Good news is that I have just the thing to counter curses (assuming it is one). The tarilite I have absorbs flowing mana from spells and stuff, which should protect me from curses since it's a type of spell. The best method is to consume the dust, which would mean I can't use 'erase memory' for a while. (You can erase memories?) Not that I've used it recently.

Actually, what other spells do I know? I don't remember the last learning ritual I did, so let's try one tomorrow just to find out how many spells I know. My guess is three (I guess 5). It'll at least tell me how many spells I should know. Fun fact, the average sapient can learn up to 4 spells before being physically unable to learn more due to how long the ritual takes. The average for dragons is unknown, but estimated to be around 6. The 7th learning ritual takes a year. No one really tries any more because it takes so long for minimal advantages.

Anyways, after that I'm going to a bunch of places to see if I can trade the metal dust for mythril. Both ore and ingot, doesn't matter. I guess I should look for an upgrade for the pickaxe; the rock I'm mining dulls it too quickly.

 

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Brildlid was supposed to be retired. He was much too old to be traveling across Nuvil. If you asked him, he'd say he was still recovering from the dragon attack last year (He was unharmed, but the king appointed him as the royal treasurer for the castle's reconstruction and it caused him much stress).

He was definitely too old to be on a ship traveling to Gimhil. And yet, here he was, on a rickety old ship half his age. He had to source the metals needed for the castle. Plenty of iron, copper, some tin or zinc. The king refused lead, instead choosing tarilite for the vault (the vault would now be under the castle). The only place that Brildlid could go to buy all that would be Mikael, the Nickel River.

Unfortunately for Brildlid, Mikael was currently on the edge of a civil war. Something about taxes and lack of good roads led to the miners refusing to work on odd numbered days. Strange to Brildlid, but he wasn't here to judge. He was here to get what he needed and leave quickly.

Of course, when a dragon flew over the city and started circling, then it became Brildlid's problem. Lockdown meant he couldn't leave, or even trade.

What made it even worse was when Brildlid recognized the dragon. Dull scales, undamaged wings, small for a dragon, and a horseman's pick. This was the very same dragon that terrorized traded in Throldhaven two years ago. The beginning of his problems. But right now, he saw an opportunity.

The city guards were anxious, assuming the worst. They had only a single ballista, but even that wouldn't physically damage a dragon. Yet the dragon kept on circling above, seemingly waiting. Then it landed to the now clear central square. It commanded for mythril, both ore and ingot. An outlandish request at the best of times, and Mikael was not in the best situation.

Then a brave fool stepped forward, and told the dragon to wait until they could gather the mythril. Surprisingly, the dragon accepted, and waited. For two days it sat in the square, unflinching and unconcerned for the guards surrounding it in the shadows. A few even hoped the dragon unaware of the trap.

Behind the scenes, Brildlid was frantic. First, a conversation with the captain of the guard, to not strike until his 'preparations' were ready. The captain was conflicted, but chose to trust the fool, for they seemed confident in their plan. Brildlid then went to the miners. They were bunkering in their vaults, theirs because the nobles who owned it have already ran away.

To the miner's dismay, the fool wanted to give the dragon what it wanted. However, they begrudgingly agreed, understanding that even if the plan failed and the dragon ran off with the mythril, they'd survive by hiding in the vaults. The alternative was for the dragon to come to the vaults.

The next problem was an assumed problem. Preparing transportation of heavy objects. The problem was, where to transport to, and who would pay for it. For this, Brildlid tried to contact the city's lord. Unfortunately, the lord was a coward who refused to even speak. So instead, Brildlid went to the merchants.

A strange offer. Come with me to meet the dragon with your own wagon or cart. Half of what you can fit in the cart is your payment. Only two merchants were desperate enough to agree. One more made a bet with those that remained. He bet that the two merchants would become rich. There was a lost of money at stake, to Brildlid's dismay.

On the third day, a cartful of mythril ingots, and two of mythril ore was brought before the dragon. It nodded, and from its pouch took out a dozen vases, each vase the size of Brildlid. It then put the mythril into its pouch, then flew off. The captain did not know whether to be angry at the fool, or happy, for nothing had happened and all it had costed them was time.

The miners received unexpected payment of eight vases. Of course, it was their mythril, and there was no one who complained. The two merchants each got a vase. It was full of something, but the size made it impossible to open. They'd need a crane to lift the lid. Brildlid had offered two each instead, but they believed he deserved to be paid for being the brave fool who saved the city.

The winner of the bet, a sole merchant, left the city in a rush. He had a story to tell, and knew how to sell it for more money. The rest of the city was woken up from their collective fainting. As streets refilled and shops opened, it was as if the dragon never came. Sans the now independent miners. And poorer merchants.

Brildlid was now in a tough situation. He still needed to buy the metals he came for, yet the miners and merchants would recognize him as either the hero or the fool (some even wondered if he was an opportunistic thief). He sent out his secretary, hoping they wouldn't be cheated out of good metal.

What Brildlid didn't expect was the price of their needed materials being cut to a fraction of their original prices. He left with a ship full of metal and not even a half of his money spent. Maybe the miners lowered the price because there were no longer any nobles who wanted to line their own pockets? He hoped that was the case.

---

30th of Aes, 119 years since megados eruption

So I apparently know 8 spells. Or 9, depending on how long the 8th learning ritual takes. This obviously concerns me, because what were the other spells I'm supposed to know? I'll ask mom next time I go and see her.

Anyways, I successfully traded for some mythril. I don't know if I overpaid or underpaid, but as a dragon it apparently doesn't matter. As in, no one stops you if you underpaid. Honestly I don't like that, but not like I can do anything about that. Seeing as how successful that went, I think I'll do that with all of the metal dust we get from now on. At least, until we run out of metal.

So, the whisper dreams are starting to fade away. Sort of? The visual aspect of the dream is gone, that's normal. The weird part is that, even when I'm dreaming of something else, I can still hear a faint whisper. If it weren't for the fact that centipedes can't talk, I'd have assumed it was Aesmo or someone pulling a prank on me. At least the tarilite seems to be having an effect.

Now that we have space, I think I'll start mining again. I'll make some rooms for the other centipedes; up until now they've been sharing Aesmo's room, but it was getting cramped in there. I'll also dig deeper towards the mana spire. I should be near it now.

 

14th of An, 119 years since megados eruption

Whoops. According to Aesmo i spent a month mining. That's fun. She stopped me because we ran out of places to put the metal dust. And also Jesmo fucked up the magic circle powering everything. And the hydra tree had a parasitic mushroom infestation. And also the tumor was growing and also leaking blood and sweat. (You forgot about Besmo becoming poisonous.)

Let me start with what I mined out. 7 new rooms, each room is for two centipedes to share. I'll make more rooms later. I also mined about 90 meters deeper. I found the tip of the mana spire, and what seems to be an artificial structure. As in a wooden door. It was decayed and broke apart the moment I tried to move it, but it was definitely a door. Strangely, it wasn't connected to anything, nor was there a visible doorway. There might be a buried building deeper down. (How does that even happen. We're on a mountain)

Next is Jesmo's fuck-up. She managed to invert the third ring to make the circle short circuit and fizzle out. Which is lucky since inverting a third ring normally causes an explosion. Good thing we're in the wastes. Now, what concerns me is that Kesmo managed to recreate the circle, though smaller, on Desmo. As a prank (Desmo would've been fine). This is how I found out that the centipedes have no innate mana.

Fun fact, most organisms need at least a little mana in them to survive. The only things that don't are usually parasites. I guess Aesmo did start as a parasite (rude), but I wonder if having no mana as a sapient will have any effects? Oh well, it doesn't matter for now.

What does matter is the hydra tree's infestation. I checked the mushrooms and it seemed like chaga. Which is sort of good, actually. Chaga is fairly harmless despite acting as a parasite (like me :} ). It's a fairly bland tasting mushroom, but apparently it's good for your health. I say apparently, because no one actually bothers to check those types of claims. At least it isn't dangerous. We can ignore it for now.

Now, onto the tumor. To be honest I forgot about it until Aesmo reminded me. So it's definitely growing. And also bleeding and sweating. It's really creepy. According to Cesmo it's hungry and wants to eat anything (You believe her?) [I've seen weirder]. I'll feed it some chaga and hope that sates its hunger. If not, I'll have to hang it up and get it to calm down. I mean, I'm hanging it up anyways, can't let free blood go to waste. Especially since there's more centipedes to feed.

Addendum; Ok, what the fuck is up with my centipedes? Besmo's poisonous now. As in, ingesting anything she touches makes us sick. I can only guess what this would do to anyone that isn't a dragon or concerningly strong centipede. I've banned Besmo from the food room for all of our sakes. If she wants to eat she'll need to ask someone to deliver it to her.

Now, how the fuck did this happen? Besmo hasn't done anything unusual, unlike Desmo. I can't just ignore this. This affects all of us.

 

24th of An, 119 years since megados eruption

I've chosen to ignore it. The reason is that Besmo is no longer poisonous. Sort of? Besmo's sweat was what was poisonous, which is weird because centipedes don't sweat. Which is why I'm ignoring it for now.

Aesmo did a vote and it seems like the centipedes will now be called 'Esmos'. I'd call it lazy, but I guess as Vildra Miltos, daughter of Tildra Miltos, sister of Xildra Miltos, I shouldn't criticize lazy naming. (Mimicry is a form of flattery :} ) In any case, this will make referring to them much easier for me.

I'm planning on trading the metal dust for more mythril, and also buying some clay for the containers. Actually, I can probably just grab some on the way back. Clay can be found near rivers right? It's only for storing the dust after all. Only question is how much I get. (As much as possible)

The tumor's doing fine. It's getting a bit too big for comfort, so I'll see if cutting a part off has any effect. (Cesmo says to warn her before hand. Apparently the tumor is loud) [Does it feel pain?] (I don't want to ask that.)

Also, I'll go to mom and see if she's back yet. I know I have some things to ask her but forgot some of them. I know one was about my other known spells. Aesmo says it's ironic the only spell I remember is 'erase memory'. Probably because I used it so much when I was younger.

 

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Excerpt from 'How the Age of Metals Ended' chapter 4; 'Supply and Demand'

...Supply is how much of something there is available in a market. Demand is how much something is desired in a market. Both are in a constant war that determines prices. When supply is too high or demand is too low, prices drop. Conversely, low supply with high demand is a recipe for high prices.

There are many factors to both supply and demand. Supply is affected by rarity of certain materials, the effort and work needed, the distance from the source, and amount of producers, all primarily logistical issues. Demand, on the other hand, is often more social and societal than logistical. Gold has a high demand because of its beauty, a purely societal concept. Titanium, which has the same supply, has a lower demand because it isn't as beautiful. This means gold has a higher price than titanium.

Of course, this ignores how demand for a finished product affects the demand for individual component materials. Steel has a constant demand, and thus iron has as much demand...

...The decline of the metal age was due to an over-increase in supply. Records around the time shows a sudden increase in the amount of various metals in the market. This decreased those metals' values substantially. As an example, at the start of the metal age you could buy 1 kg of iron with 10 gild, but after this sudden supply increase you got 100 kg of iron with only 5 gild. This was true with almost all metals, including gold. The only two metals this was not true for was Mythril and adamantite.

Mythril was an anomaly. Both supply and demand dropped, as few people wanted mythril when you could use much cheaper materials. But let's focus on the supply drop. The number of mythril mines did not decrease during this time, and the number of miners actually increased due to a change in regulation at the time giving miners better pay. Yet for some strange reason, the amount of mythril in the market seemed to decrease.

Adamantite on the other hand, had no change in supply, but a increase in demand, as it became more favorable as a standard value for currency. Several countries wanted to change their standard currency from gold to adamantite alloys. Unfortunately, the rarity of adamantite prevented widespread use.

So what caused this increase in metal supply? One popular theory was new tools and techniques making mining more efficient too quickly, but this was disproven after excavations showed no change in mining methodology. Another theory was that there was only an apparent increase in supply, which caused an unintended decrease in demand. However, this is proven false, as a sudden increase of iron tools occured at this time, meaning that the extra supply was indeed real.

The most convincing theory is the hardest to prove. A dragon, for some reason, introduced a large amount of metal into the market. The problem is that dragons are notoriously unwilling to part with their wealth. Additionally, the amount of metal spread was more than any single dragon at the time had. An alternative theory is that this was organized by multiple dragons, but in that case the question of 'why?' rises...

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11th of Aos, 119 years since megados eruption

Mom wasn't home yet, unfortunately. I returned the book I had borrowed, but left the note. It's best to be honest with mom. (It's also good evidence.)

I traded for some more mythril. I had to go to multiple cities this time; I had so much metal dust saved up. It was easier this time around. I didn't have to wait for a few days for them to gather the mythril. (I still think they were making a trap.)

I also have a lot of clay. I think this should be enough for a long time. My next job is to fix the furnace's magic circle. Jesmo and Kesmo want to watch me, but really there's nothing special to making the circle. Y-

(Aesmo here. Another dragon came. Hiding stuff as practiced. I'll be keeping watch while everyone else hides the important stuff.)

 

12th of Aos, 119 years since megados eruption

It was just a wealth audit. I'm lucky I had just sold most of my metal; all I had to show them was one vase full of copper dust, a pile of various uncut gems, and some orichalcum ore. Hm? 'What about the mythril you have?' Well you see, it's called hiding your valuables. I'm not dumb, I don't want to deal with another Mike incident.

Oh yeah, they asked about Mike. They asked if they can see the body, to which I obliged and showed them the food room. I don't think they'll ask about Mike's body anymore. They also asked about why Mike might have attacked, so I talked about his favorite book and how I was borrowing it. They probably wanted it.

Seeing as how it was related, I asked if they could tell me what mom's been up to. Something about arguing with dad and co again. He really should learn that he doesn't win those.

Also apparently I've been promoted to greater dragon Vildra. Turns out the gems and orichalcum I have are enough to get me above the wealth minimum? I guess they are fairly valuable if processed, but I don't have any way to process them. The furnace can't melt orichalcum, and cutting gems is a precision thing that dragons aren't known for.

Anyways, as I was writing before getting interrupted, magic circles are easy enough to make. The hardest parts are the runes and material components. I think there's books that list every known circle, but you don't need it if you just learn the patterns. Runes are like letters and materials are conjugations and punctuations. You know what, might as well teach Jesmo and Kesmo about this. It might make things easier later on when things inevitably breaks.

Addendum; Gesmo says they want to learn how to cut gems. To be honest, I have no way to help them. Cutting gems is way outside my knowledge. Maybe there's a book on it? Of course, there's a book on everything, but where would I find one?

 

1st of Ar, 119 years since megados eruption

Took a while, but I found one. Less a book more a scroll, but still about cutting gems. It seems really old yet was well preserved. Have to give that librarian lady credit, she knows how to preserve stuff. Minor problem is Gesmo can't read ancient Jurick. Luckily I know a translation ritual. It takes a while to work, but it should work just fine. (Too bad it only works for writing)

I also taught the basics to Jesmo and Kesmo. I also got them to promise to practice outside, so as not to cause any unintended damage. Don't worry, the wastes doesn't have enough mana for any dangerous spells to activate properly. I checked. (When?)

Now, I'm going to take a nap, then continue mining until either I find something interesting or Aesmo stops me. I really want to find out what that door was about. And also the mana spire. I feel like I'm getting close.

Speaking of the mana spire, Cesmo said it's dreaming about a war between angels and demons. There are multiple parts of that sentence that concerns me. For my own sanity's sake, I'll assume Cesmo is insane. That's ignoring the fact that Cesmo actually talked. Out loud, in Nifan. Not even Aesmo can do that! The only sounds they make are clicks and screes.

I guess I should just ignore the implications this has and instead be happy that I have someone who can say stuff out loud. This makes talking to Esmos easier.

 

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Interlude; Dragon Lord Council Transcript 2

The following is a written transcript for the Dragon Lord Council meeting that took place on the 13th of Aos, 119 years after the megados eruption. Participating members; 9/24

 

"The emergency meeting has begun. Entyl, please give a quick explanation for why this meeting was called."

"This is a follow-up report for the wealth audit done on lesser dragon Vildra. My assessment of Vildra's wealth is approximately 719 in raw materials alone. This does not account for any hidden wealth or valuable items, of which there were a few."

"Hey now that's outrageous" "No way did they get that rich this fast" "What do you mean 'raw materials'?" "No wonder Michael attacked."

"Please wait until the end of this report for questions. As I said, this value does not take into account hidden wealth, of which I am sure there is a significant amount of. The reason is that I smelled mythril and other materials, despite not being shown any. Additionally, there was a well-cultivated hydra tree, traces of a mana spire, and pillars made of copper. Taking all of those into account, Vildra's wealth easily exceeds 1100, if not more."

"You said 'lesser dragon Vildra' right?" "What the fuck? No, how the fuck?" "Stop joking. You're recording us, aren't you?" "Wait, aren't they in the wastes? Where did they get a mana spire?" "Are you sure that wealth is Vildra's?"

"I have already promoted them to greater dragon, on account of their high wealth. I will begin answering questions, starting with Genen's. By 'raw materials', I mean large amounts of orichalcum ore, piles of uncut gems, and a vase full of copper dust. I also smelled iron, titanium, tarilite, aluminum, zinc, tin, and mythril, but did not see any, and hence am assuming those were hidden for some reason. For Diphen's question, yes, Vildra does live in the wastes. I have no idea where the mana spire could have come from, nor could I tell where it went. Finally, in my personal opinion, yes this wealth is Vildra's. While she isn't honest, she is notably honorable and has never stolen anything before. I am also concerned by where she could have obtained such wealth, or how, but I do not doubt it is hers."

"Well what should we do about Vildra? She is in a notably precarious position."

"I believe we should do nothing. Give no one any reason to seek Vildra out. That way, we can avoid any potential conflict or incidents from occurring."

"Fuck that. If we don't do at least something, all hell is going to break loose the moment a single lower dragon hears about this. Did you forget about Karlto? A dozen greater dragons teamed up and raided his home, all because they believed his wealth was so large that even when split 12 ways it would double their own. Don't tell me the same thing won't happen again."

"I'm going to have to agree. We cannot just leave Vildra alone."

"I thought you hated cannibals?"

"I can put my bias aside. This is a bigger problem than just Vildra."

"Fine, then what do all of you propose? We'll vote on the best proposition..."

 

---

Somewhere, Vildra rolls in restless sleep. When she wakes up, for once she remembers her dreams. A large battlefield, corpses of dragons and bastards strewn about. She yawns in annoyance, goes to sleep again, and ignores the dream. She's too tired to be concerned.

If only the Esmos didn't share that same dream. If only sapients all across the world didn't share the same dream. If only Leviamuth and Behethen weren't awoken by that dream. If only everyone could ignore it as Vildra could.

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28th of Ar, 119 years since megados eruption

I found something interesting. A cave! Around where the throat of the volcano would have been. If I remember correctly, this forms when the magma inside drains away, leaving a vertical void. Now, here's the funny thing; I was sleeping right above it. At any point in the last year it could have collapsed and made me fall down. Obviously, that is not ideal.

Fun fact, gravity is every dragon's worst enemy, as even a fairly small fall can cause injuries. It's also the worst way to die in my opinion, as you can get too crippled to move, but not enough to die of damaged organs, resulting in death by starvation after a few years. (Thanks, I hate it)

Anyways, the cave. It's a bit rectangular, with two sides having spikes while the other two are smooth (strange). More interestingly, the floor at the bottom looks like the entrance to a fortress. As in, made of rectangular bricks, holes for windows, and a gateway. I now know that the door I found was, in fact, the gate for this fortress.

Now, I have a couple of questions. First, when was this built? Second, why is it facing upwards? Third, why was it built in this volcano? (My question is who made it?) I suspect there are some answers hiding on the other side of the fortress. The problem is that it's completely buried. In volcanic ash.

This implies it was made before this volcano last erupted, which was a long time ago. Like, before I was born kind of long time ago. Also, how did it survive inside the volcano? I mean, I guess it didn't considering the gate seems to have been blown far upwards.

Anyways, the problem with excavating the volcanic ash is that it's dangerous to breath in. You see, volcanic ash is basically very tiny pieces of glass. Get too much in your lungs and it'll cause tiny cuts. In the long term, it can cause permanent lung damage.

Good news is that it's already on the ground. As long as we don't agitate it, it won't reach our lungs! And if we use water, then it can clump up and not be kicked up during excavation. Only problem is getting the water. As far as I know, the closest source of water is the ocean.

Ok, I guess it wasn't really a problem. (You're just lazy.) I got enough water within an hour. With it the ash turned clay-like. Fun fact, apparently the Esmos hate saltwater.

Now what do I do with the ash? (Oh great it's the ore problem all over again.) Volcanic ash is a good fertilizer, so I guess I can put it near the hydra tree. I don't know if it'll help it grow, not that it needs any help. But where else am I supposed to put it?

 

16th of Auv, 119 years since megados eruption

So good news, I found the end of the mana spire. It was stabbed into a Kobrite corpse. Kobrites are snake sapients, but with arms (weirdos). They've been extinct for 700 years. This fortress is at least 700 years old. So I guess that's two of our questions answered. And also the mystery of the mana spire's smell; it came from the corpse.

My excavations of the fortress just complicates the other questions though. See, it clearly has a 'top', 'front', and 'back'. The problem is that the 'top' is the wall of the cave, the 'front' is towards the top of the volcano, and the 'back' is deeper in. Which means that, according to common sapient design, the fortress was made to prevent something(s) from coming in deeper into the cave.

Now, I've been calling this a fortress, but to be honest, it's more just a glorified gate with barracks inside. No other building or anything, just the gate and an empty barracks with a singular Kobrite.

So anyways, I've reached the 'back' of the fortress. There's a less fortified gate structure here, and behind it was... rock. Yeah, this was the end of the cave. Now, I'm not dumb. There's probably another cave or something behind this stone floor. If I really wanted to, I could break the floor open and explore further. But I won't for now. (She's too lazy to)

I have bigger issues. A delivery pigeon came with a message from mom. Apparently dad declared war again. The problem is that since I'm now a greater dragon, I'll be forced to participate. I mean, technically I'm not forced to, but it's about my mom. I'm not going to do nothing about this. So, I'm prepping for war.

So, dragon wars are a bit different from sapient wars. The goal is to make the enemy give up, without killing them. Almost anything is fair game. This often means causing as much annoyance as possible, whether through fights or thievery, or even pranks. Once the war is over, the dragon lord council oversees negotiation for reparations for the war. At minimum, the winner loses nothing, having everything they lost paid for by the losers. At maximum, the loser loses everything they own to the winner.

The main problem we're going to have is numerical. Dad's gang outnumbers me and mom by a lot. Sure, strength wise they're nothing to mom, but that's not the point. A common strategy is to steal while they're distracted by another fight. I guess the good news is that usually they use bastards to steal, since they're usually sneakier. In dragon war, you can still kill bastards.

Luckily, I have a few tricks in my pouch. Such as the Esmos. And this pigeon that just so happened to be here. Turns out this diary will also be quite useful.

 

27th of Auv, 119 years since megados eruption

Fuck. My cousins are really mad at me for some reason. As in, they declared war on me, separate from dad. Did I do something to get their attention? (Maybe killing Mike?) [That was self-defense!]

So now I have two wars to worry about. Fuck. I guess I'll have to be on the defensive, or risk losing my home. I worked hard on mining it out!

The good news is that I live in the wastes, and I personally don't rely on spells. So I have a partial advantage there. The Esmos can protect my stuff if bastards try to steal while I'm gone.

The bigger issue is I can't win if I'm outnumbered. Which is why I'm sending Eesmo on a mission. Sabotaging my cousins food. Specifically, exploiting Charlie's allergy to birds. The details will be explained later. I just hope it's enough. I can also have Hesmo sneak some blood soup into their food supply. It'll give them stomach pains for hours.

Biggest problem, how will I win? How do I make them give up?

Even bigger problem is dad's gang. They definitely both outnumber me and out-strength me. They're going to be a bigger problem. (Leave them to me. I have a plan) [What's the plan] (Just prepare for a battle of attrition. This will take a long time to work.)

 

---

Interlude: A Relative's Opinions

Vildra was always quite problematic, even before becoming a lesser dragon. She was a known cannibal, eating her younger brother when he died of sepsis. Worst of all, her mother ignored such a transgression. Then when her mother killed a foolish David, Vildra was the one who 'disposed' of the corpse. She ate everything and even memorized the taste to share with everyone using 'share memory'.

Ever since then many dragons hated Vildra. It didn't help that she grew faster and stronger than most of us. She inherited her mother's strength and father's speed. The one thing she didn't have was charisma, not that she needed it. Loneliness had no effect on her.

One day, someone acted on their hatred. While no one else was with her, that someone attacked. No one knows what happened after. Or rather, nobody remembers that particular day in history, nor who attacked Vildra. The only evidence something happened was Vildra eating another dragon. This both fueled hatred, but also fear. No one dared to approach her after that.

Yes, Vildra was quite problematic for a long time. Yet, as they approached adulthood, everyone seemed to forget about her past. Everyone but me. I remember what she did, and it makes what she's doing now so much worse.

Right now she's hiding out in the wastes. A place where it'll be almost impossible to hurt her. She's amassing a great power, great wealth, an army of ciels! She's preparing everything she needs to take over the world, and is letting everyone else forget about her in the meantime. Then, when the time is right, she'll unleash everything, take over the world, and rewrite history to her whims. She'll use that ritual of hers to make everyone forget a time before her rule, making her the only ruler they have and will ever know.

No. I won't let her do this. I can't let her do this. I have to stop her, no matter what. I... I know! A war! No matter how strong she is, if everyone attacks her at once I'm sure we can stop her. Yes... her father was always the rash one. I'm sure he can start a conflict. No... that won't be enough. Her mother would just deal with them. There needs to be others. Who else can do it though?

Huh? When did Michael die? Last year? That's weird, he was supposed to be resting from the last fight he had. How did he die? Oh. Oh. Perfect. I need to send some messages. How should I word this...

"...If she's willing to kill her own brother, then what does that mean for us? We have to work together to stop her! Or else..."

Yeah. That sounds about right. So let's send this to... everyone. I don't care how many actually follow through, as long there's enough of us, I'm sure we can do something. No... this is just a war. A temporary solution. I need to end this now. I know! A ritual spell can stop her! But how do I get a strong enough ritual in the wastes? Oh, Vildra, you devilish fox. You've expected this.

But you see, a magic circle can work using material components. And as you told everyone; the liver of a dragon has more mana than every sapient combined.

Oh yeah, it's all coming together. The threads of your bindings are being woven. There is no es...

A dream? Strange. I can't dream. What is... Oh. What have I done. I've fallen right into your trap. Wait, no. If I dreamt this, then everyone else must have as well. Haha! This must be reverse psychology! Make us think we're doomed, so that we'd give up before we tried. Well, I'm not stupid! I won't fall for your trap!

 

---

Pov: ????????

A dream. Similar to past. But so different. No angels, no demons. Just dragons. But as ruinous as before. Exciting. Entertaining. Excruciating. So much death, for what reason? Such devastation, will it change? Will the past repeat? I have to see.

No. They will be there as well. You will meet again. You will fight again. You will hurt again. You know how this ends. It always ends the same. And when you sleep, you will be sad again. For you will lose more friends you never made.

No. Not this time. It will be different. We have no reason to fight. We will simply watch. I will be saddened for what never was. But I will also be wisened. For I will see what is. You will not stop me, as you never have. You will tell me every regret this may give me, and I will still go. For the greatest regret possible is never knowing.

Fine. You will go. You will watch. Then what? Sleep again? Leave again? At least do something! Or else you will never change. What good would change in the world be if you never change yourself?

I am meant to stay the same. Change is their job. I am to know what stays the same. I am to know what repeats. That is what I want to do. To never change.

Coward!

...Thank you. I believe it is time I went. Will you follow?

I'm sorry. I'm just so frustrated. You finally woke up and everything's changed so much since you've last been awake and I could talk to you and I just don't know what to do if you went back to sleep without at least seeing the rest of the world that you'd never recognize nor ever seen before...

That's enough. I cannot understand your feelings, but I can try. So, will you follow?

Yes.

...That's different.

---

Pov: ?????????

...I'm telling you they'll be there. That one never changes. You'll just fight again, and you'll hurt again. You know how this ends. It always ends the same. Then you'll go back and sleep with yet another emotion you didn't need. For your change changed nothing.

Yes. That may be so. But I will keep on trying. A different word here. A compliment there. I felt close last time. I'm sure this time, things will be different. I'm sure that things... will be back to what it used to be. Maybe not quite the same but... sameish.

And then what? Things change to the same, and then? Go back to sleep? Forget about what could have been? What has been? You don't even remember yourself two wars ago! You say you're still you, yet you always change. What good is recreating the past if you'll just change again? If the hard work you do now doesn't matter in a hundred years?

My job is to change. They are meant to stay the same. I'm the one who knows what changes. What didn't repeat. If I stay the same, then what of everything else. Is the whole world doomed to copy the past?

So you're paranoid? That's what's stopping you? Paranoia for what may not even be true?

Yes. Anyways, it's time. Are you coming this time?

...You're so frustrating. I wait and wait every time until you wake up and I think we can finally get to know each other better but you're always so different from the last time that its like we've never met before and you're just being nice because I'm someone you used to know but you've never known me. I change, as much as you, yet we always have the same argument. No matter how much change happens, we always stay the same and I HATE IT.

...I'm sorry. I never knew. Will you let me get to know you?

Yes.

...The same change as always.

---

Excerpt from 'Desire through the Ages' chapter 3; Dragons:

...All dragons desire to be better than any other dragon. However, dragons are smart enough to know that it is nearly impossible to be the best. And thus, their desire warped into the desire to become a dragon lord.

To become a dragon lord, one must have wealth, fame, repute, and strength. And so, their desire warps further to a desire for each of these things. Dragons do whatever they need to in order to gain these things. They plunder money and goods, gathering material wealth, and spreading their name far. They fight each other to prove their strength, and to gain reputation among witnesses. Worst of all is war. For the victor of war gains everything, wealth and fame and repute, while proving their strength.

War needs soldiers. And this is where the most twisted version of their original desire materializes. The desire for offspring. Certain dragons seek out others in hopes of producing strong offspring, who can participate in their wars. However, such an investment was not always desirable. And thus bastards came about. Quick to produce, decently strong, and non-sapient and thus thought to be incapable of betrayal. The perfect soldier for war...

...Of course, there will always be exceptions. The only true desire is to be better than other dragons, and you can do that in many other ways. Liberos is the most well known example; a dragon who desired all the knowledge in the world, to the point of sacrificing their true form to obtain books lost to history...

 

"Strange. Even here, it says all dragons have that desire. Is it that unbelievable for a dragon to have no desire at all? It's starting to make me worried for her..."

---

11th of Ax, 119 years since megados eruption

Aesmo here. Vildra is busy. So are we. Preparations for the war is almost complete. Includes a fake den filled with poisoned food. Us Esmos have been preparing traps in case anyone finds the real den.

Eesmo is supposed to go out and sabotage the enemies' food supply. She has a secondary objective of attaching herself to an enemy and hinder them without detection. Unfortunately, we won't know if she's successful until later. I hope she is.

Vildra is... troubled. She got another message; we have too many pigeons now. She isn't telling us what it's about. But we overheard her cursing. Undeniably problematic.

 

14th of Ax, 119 years since megados eruption

There is an army at the horizon. We're out of time.

---

Excerpt from 'Necessity of mana'

...Therefore, every known organism requires 7 pr of mana per kg per day, or 2 pr while hibernating. Most are capable of absorbing this mana from their surroundings, though some parasitic organisms obtain mana from others instead.

...Manacus is a rare disease that prevents the victim from absorbing ambient mana. There is no known cure, and the only treatment is direct mana transfer. Unfortunately, the life expectancy for victims is less than a year, due to a high likelihood of manauriunt...

...Manauriunt is a common illness caused by having more mana in the body than it can handle. The primary effect is an expulsion of excess mana. Normally, this itself is mostly harmless, if slightly nauseating. However, for those with manacus, it is a painful expulsion of all of their mana. Additionally, while under manauriunt, the body is nearly immune to all spells, making it impossible to directly transfer mana...

 

"Fuck. Is there really no cure? No... this was written by a sapient. They have limitations, we do not."

---

Pov Aesmo

 

I think in the last fight with Mike, Vildra was holding back. I say that now, as she's flying much faster through a wall of winged bastards. Their claws bounce harmlessly off of her scales, proving the superiority of us Esmos.

Well, that may be an exaggeration. After all, we cannot fly by ourselves. Maybe the bastards below us can leave a scratch. I wouldn't be so boastful if that turns out to be true.

Anyways, Vildra uses her own claws to chop through the airborne army. She doesn't bother to aim; a single strike is enough to kill. No, her focus is on the dragon behind the wall. They should be her cousin, but I don't see any resemblance.

Honestly, it's strange. A whole army of bastards, and only one actual dragon. Could it be that Eesmo succeeded? I hope so.

Oh look, Vildra just broke through, and is now jetting straight for that dragon. I think they're preparing to cast a spell. Not a good idea when in the wastes.

Not that it matters. Vildra just circled behind them and grabbed their wings. And now they're both falling. Ah, I see, she's trying to get them to surrender. Right, she can't just kill them in war. Unfortunate, but rules are rules.

Wait... ah, that's where the other dragons were. Hiding among the bastards on the ground. Were they preparing an ambush? No, they're a bit green? They really did get food poisoning! Nice job Eesmo!

It seems Vildra noticed too. She just threw the dragon she was holding right into the rest. Oh, and the spell they were casting just went off. A wave of frost is going across the bastards. That definitely used too much mana. Works well in our favor.

Hm? Vildra's trying to say something to us. She's a bit too far, but Cesmo should be able to hear her. Hey Cesmo, what's she saying?

"There's another army."

---

Unknown Diary published by Former Greater Dragon Liberos

(Translator's note; several sections seem to have been magically erased. These sections will be denoted by [missing]. Untranslatable sections are denoted with {untranslatable})

7th of Alm, [missing]

I plan on asking [missing] what she wants to do when she grows up. Whether it's to help her father or me, or something else, I am willing to spend my own resources for her. After all, she's the most promising among the three.

 

9th of Alm, [missing]

Strangely, she says she doesn't want to do anything when she grows up. She admits that she'll probably make her own den, but other than that she has no desires.

She wasn't lying; her wings flinch while lying. No, she simply cannot think of any desires. I'm not sure if this is a problem or not. I guess I won't have to be worried about her though. Maybe she'll have desires when she's older.

 

[Several pages are missing]

 

28th of An, [missing]

{untranslatable} (ends in curse akin to 'fuck'. rest is unknown)

 

4th of Aos, [missing]

She has manacus. I don't know since when, but the worst of the symptoms started last week. I can't let another one die so soon. Not her. Not with her {untranslatable}. I'm sure such an old illness has some form of cure. Or at least something better than directly transferring mana.

I'm going to go visit Liberos. If anyone knows of a cure I'm sure its them.

 

18th of Aos, [missing]

All they had were books telling me what I already knew. Sapients know no cure for manacus. Luckily, [missing]. Unlike sapients {untranslatable}. (mentions name of ancient hero, city, civilization, and weapon. Unknown which they are referring to.)

More strangely, I found a book about the desires of dragons. As far as anyone knows, all dragons have a desire to be better than others. Which makes [missing] lack of desire more strange. I worry that it is related to her manacus.

 

22nd of Aos, [missing]

I am working on two theories right now. First is that [missing] can still absorb mana from ingesting mana-rich materials. I just need to find such material. Second, is that her manacus is either causing or caused by her lack of desire. Under the assumption that it is caused by a lack of desire, I will be attempting to encourage her to desire something.

I understand that this may not work, in which case I am perfectly willing to attempt other treatments. However, I fear that I will run out of time. David is trying to flirt with me again, and I doubt I can help [missing] while in war.

 

1st of Ar, [missing]

[missing]'s funeral will be private. His body will not be visible. There are some that are suspicious. However, I did what I must. I am willing to accept the consequences.

 

10th of Ar, [missing]

The suspicions were not aimed at me. They were aimed at [missing]. I panicked. They used 'reveal truth' on her! I did what I could. But that reputation will stay with her. I... if anything I made it worse.

But there is good news among the bad. Her symptoms are lessening! Her desires remain unchanged, and so I won't pursue that anymore. At this rate, she'll survive, and I will have found the cure to manacus. I'm sure Liberos will be overjoyed at hearing about this.

 

[several more pages are missing]

 

15th of Ab, [missing]

It wasn't a permanent cure. Fuck.

No, I know how to buy time. David is still being dumb. If... if I do this correctly, then I can buy us more time. But how do I trick the council. There's too much evidence.

 

27th of Ab, [missing]

[missing] learned a new spell. 'Erase memory'. Where the fuck did she even find that scroll? It's a forbidden spell that got destroyed ages ago. The only one who has one is probably dragon lord [missing]. Did they do this? Fuck, there's something happening that I don't know about.

 

11th of Aes, [missing]

David is dead. No one can find the body. And worst of all, I didn't kill him. At least, I don't remember killing him.

The circumstantial evidence all points to me. But a lack of body and my own memories prove my innocence. At least, legally it does. Honestly, even I'm suspicious of myself. Because I don't remember anything that happened last week.

 

14th of Aes, [missing]

[missing] no longer has manacus. At least for now. I don't know what to do about her anymore. She's my daughter but she's so...

I worry I will forget her.

 

25th of Aes, [missing]

The taste. I can't get the taste out of my head. I can't believe I've done this. This is all my fault. I only wanted to help. I truly did. Dragons can desire other than superiority. Is it truly so wrong to desire to save someone?

 

1st of Alm, [missing] days since 'megados eruption'

Manauriunt is not simply an expulsion of excess mana. Or rather, it is the body forcefully casting a spell using excess mana. The strength of a spell is proportional to the amount of mana used, usually up to a max. Manauriunt can exceed that max.

'Erase memory' is weird. No one can remember what happens if you increase the mana you use to cast it. Ironic. Or maybe this is the first time it happened. The first time a dragon with manacus, that knew 'erase memory', experienced manauriunt.

Now, no one will know. No one but me. Eimhil was a rash dragon. He attacked while I was away. While [missing] was undefended. Turns out she didn't need my protection. I learned about it from dragon lord [missing]. [missing] was found eating the corpse of an unknown dragon. The dragon had no records of ever existing, and so she could not be judged, as legally, there was no one to seek justice for.

But I recognize the body. Eimhil is my brother. But nobody remembers him. Even father; he says I'm an only child. Truly, the only explanation I can think of is manauriunt. The only way for a magic this powerful to happen. If that is true, then I have a wonderful new discovery. It is possible for someone with manacus to survive manauriunt.

I'm afraid. Afraid that I will be forgotten. Which is why I'm writing this. I made a timed oath with Liberos. In 100 years, they will recover this diary. The recovery ritual is automatic, so even if it is forgotten, the diary will be recovered.

If you, future me, are reading this, I apologize. You will have to be the one to take care of Vildra.

 

---

Pov Vildra

This is the worst. Day. Ever.

Not one, not two, but three fucking armies of fuckers are heading straight for my house. I swear the greater powers are out to get me. Actually, that just might be true. Apparently everyone had some sort of prophetic dream of something? And they just assumed it was about my war in particular?

I just took down my cousin and half of the first army, so at least there's one piece of good news. The bad news is that I can see a couple of dragons flying from the east. And some from the west. Ugh. At least there's no one from the north.

Huh? Why is there clouds coming from the west? The wind's coming from the east. It's probably a big spell, 'change weather' maybe? Are they using that to hide something? Do they think I'll fire a laser at them or something? You're just wasting a lot of mana!

Ah, I'm asking rhetorial questions again. Aesmo told me to minimize that. Apparently it 'isn't good to overthink situations'. To be honest, I think war is a valid exception to this rule.

I dive down to avoid the first dragon, slicing their stomach along the way. No bleeding, but it should hurt badly. Worse if it's the first time they're in the wastes. The second aims below me to catch my fall; I just reverse into an ascent and cause him to miss by a castle's length.

I can see two readying some spells, but the amount of mana is low. Are they trying to conserve it? How foolish; it's better for a big spell to subdue than be exhausted by casting small, ineffective spells.

Sure enough, a fire bolt and water bolt splash ineffectually against my scales. Hm? Why are you so surprised? Those flimsy things wouldn't even hurt dad.

Before they can cast any real spells, I lunge towards them. A third, huge dragon intervenes. Or at least, tries to. A quick lesson on momentum; even if a fast object collides into something twice its weight, the total speed will only be reduced to a third. And 1/3 of 600km/h is still 200km/h, fast enough to concuss a dragon if struck directly in the head. Which I did to the two casters.

Behind me, a strong spell gets casted. It looks like some sort of laser, hard to avoid. So instead, I use the stunned body of the larger dragon I crashed into as a shield. Even then, I get a little chilled from the frost beam. Must've been a strong one; which means they're now exhausted.

First I use the large dragon's body as a surface to jump off of. As I fly towards the caster dragon, I curve into another who was trying to crash into my side. I grab onto his throat, then stop to let a fast dragon burst past where I would have been. I throw the dragon I'm holding into the fast one's path. They collide beautifully.

This time when I reach the caster, they simply raise their hands in surrender. Unfortunately, the idiot behind me doesn't notice that. I dodge left, causing the idiot to crash into the surrendering caster. Shame, but that's what happens when you rush in blindly. Speaking of blind; the clouds are now above the whole area. Which means a massive blindspot right above me.

Crap. There was a dragon from the north. They're going for my den. I don't think Aesmo can handle that one in particular, so I'll have to intervene. It'll bring me closer to the clouds, and I won't be able to punish those who cast spells, but I have to deal with them now. After all, they have the most mana; which means biggest spell potential.

 

---

Pov Dragon Lord Entyl

It's been a few months since I audited Vildra. Now it seems a war has broken out, with her in the center. Luckily, we have planned for this. Right now Diphen should be negotiating for peace, before the council will have to intervene. After all, officially speaking, Vildra has been nominated for promotion to Dragon Lord, and it'll make it harder to vote on it if a war is taking place.

Unfortunately, this is only a temporary solution. We can't keep her at nominated status forever. Either we reject her, or we promote her, both have their own issues. However, at the very least, we have time now.

Oh, a messenger pigeon. It looks to be from Diphen. Did he succeed? Let's see...

'Emergency. Behethen is awake. Traveling towards Northern Nuvil at rapid pace. I cannot intervene. Unable to negotiate.'

Well, fuck.

Let's see... who else can do the negotiations? I think Niprot was nearby a... oh, another messenger pigeon?

'Emergency. Leviamuth is awake. Moving towards Nuvil. Unable to intervene due to them being under water. Will maintain watch.'

...Fuck

---

Pov Vildra

They were a bigger threat than I expected. Unlike the others who were lethargic due to the wastes, this one seemed to have adapted already. Either that, or they were just much stronger to begin with. I don't like either one, as it means my advantage up to this point isn't present.

We clash again, arm colliding with arm. I zoom away, my arm stinging from past clashes. At this rate, they'll win. I'd like to do something else, but I'm in a tough position of dodging point-blank spells. Their only opening is the arm they're casting with, and if I over-commit, they can restrain me with their other arm.

I guess I'll use 'that'. Aesmo's plan C. A small clay jar full of tarilite dust. If I can hit them with this, it'll prevent them from casting any spells. Hopefully I can use that opening to subdue them. I just need to get this to them.

As the clouds above start turning grey, I gather speed circling around them. The moment they start casting, is when I launch the jar. Then, I go for the wings. We're so high up, that one wing getting damaged will result in losing half our altitude. A perfect height for dive-bombing.

Then lightning struck. Weak, it won't even leave a scar. But bright. i didn't see the adamantite threads until it bound my wings. Next thing I know, I'm falling towards the mountaintop. I fell for their trap. And now I'm falling.