A Wandering Traveler Pt 2: Survival?
Seeing you remain, the dragon moved to stand and stretch himself out slowly, large, near 15 foot long, and 9 foot high form extending much like a cat would, rear held high into the air while his front-half was lowered to the ground. Listening the dragon had spoke once more in the process, "Well I see you have stayed....so where shall I begin?"
He moved off, making a motion for you to follow as he began speaking once more. "My beginning years, as a hatchling, were un-eventful. Apart from me never knowing my parents. I had hatched into a world that appeared to be ravaged and detroyed, but it was only from a mage I learned of later in life, that had destroyed the mountains in search of my parents...."
The dragon gave a dis-heartened sigh, but continued on, no change in tone present, making you wonder in curiousity as to why not. "My hatchling years were filled with me running about, learning to hunt on my own, and figuring out that most human villages did not enjoy having a wyrmling in their presence. I had found this out by accidentally falling into a potato sack one of the villagers had sitting outside. She had come out and quickly shoo'ed me from the bag, swatting at me with a wicker broom. And let me tell you....it did not feel good the few times she connected....."
Listening to your soft chuckles, the dragon simply shook its head slowly left to right, still continuing on. "She chased me out of the village, and I proceeded to roam around, hunting and fending for myself off the lands. Eventually my travels had me end up in an elven village, but unlike the first one however I had run across, these villagers accepted me. They took me in...taught me their tongue, as well as a more..normal language....what you and I speak now as a matter of fact."
The golden-scaled hunk of muscle, flesh and meat came to a stop in the far back of the mountain, staring to what appeared to be a grave-site, long since covered in grass and flowers, as well as a large oak tree resting, offering shade to the lone mound of dirt that was present. "Several hundred years later, war had come to their lands though. A warring clan wanted the lands for their own." "The place having become some-what of a home of my own, I stayed, having acquired the ability of fully understanding some magics, and took on a form very much similar to their own. Equipping myself with a shield and sword, and some thick, metal armour, I marched out along side the other men onto a war-field...."
As you listened, the dragons voice was becoming softer, colder, as though staring into a nightmare. Looking skyward upon feeling a soft rain-drop strike your head, you noticed it was to begin raining. The dragon though, remained, taking a seat just ahead of the grave-site and continuing once more. "When people say war is hell.....they mean just that. Thunderous roars of triumph, as well as horrible screams of pain and death as hundreds of beings around me killed, and were killed. Clanging of metal against metal, seemingly never-ending. I had blacked out at one point, having been struck by a large, heavy spiked mace in the back of the head. The mace cleaving in the helmet, digging deep into my the back of my skull. Everything I knew was fading....turning to black. My breaths were coming shorter, a numbness taking over my body very slowly....I felt so...very tired...."
The large gold dragon still remained seated in the rain, mane of white hair down his neck having become matted and pinned to his neck, water dripping down from the golden scales, the occasional flash of lightning in the sky illuminating the golden scales in a brief glow, causing the specks of water to sparkle in a sense. "Yes...I had died that day. And what I had seen afterwards was most certainly not good. I had found myself in a large pit, surrounded by walls made of bone. Dragon, elf, human, dwarf, just...bones."
Watching, you could see a visible shiver shake through the dragons form, but you made no move to touch, un-sure if it was wise or not to do so. Soon though, more words came to your ears, and you listened with rapt attention once more. "I was in limbo in a sense....Not yet hell, but most certainly not heaven. I suppose it was where dragons go when they die. I am unsure though as I had simply spent the time wandering around, inspecting the current dwellings I had been within. The hall-ways seemed to go on forever, never-ending in their length, no matter how far I walked. Eventually though I had come to an ending, and what greeted me was a most horendous sight...."
Taking a breath, then exhaling, the dragon steeled his nerves, and spoke once more, voice hard, cold. "Demons....millions of them. Feasting on flesh, tearing limbs from beings with slow precision, torturing their victims as long as they could. But once they had died, not but five minutes later...they were whole once more, living, breathing, deemed to survive through another tortuing, then die, only to repeat the process once more. Monuments of skulls and bone, large streams of blood seemingly pumping from the top, the blood boiling and bubbling much like hot lava would do...."
He seemed to pause, large body shuddering once more within your view, "Amidst it all though, the worst was that....thing....It had no real shape....hundreds of thousands of eyes, and several mouths. Pulsating and radiating something horrid. They were....feeding this thing. The demons that is....it had apparently feasted upon souls. It had taken notice of me though, and turned its attention upon me. It then let out this horrible screeching noise like an alarm, causing me to fall and collapse, ears bleeding from the pitch due to my sensitive elven hearing."
The large creature gave a seemingly worried, pained growl, then simply exhaled a gentle burst of steam into the rain. "I was awoken shortly after that by a loud clap of thunder, laying, staring skyward into a dark night sky, or at-least I thought it had been night. It was actually smoke. And lots of it. The ground was wet and sticky. Cold as well which told me I had been laying there for awhile now. What I saw around me was gruesome. It was the end results of that war. The ground beneath me stained as though black, charred almost, but it was blood. Pieces of limbs and bodies strewn around everywhere. The fight was over....I had survived."
The large dragon had seemingly wandered around enough to come back to the caverns entrance where you had initially started the entire journey, chuckling some. "Allright...that is enough for now. I think it is time you take your leave....Actually...there is a spare room in the back you may use if you wish. It is furnished, and perfectly fit for most...bi-pedal beings. Even some taurs actually." With a bow of his head, the dragon gave a soft growl, bidding a farewell, then moved off and dissapeared into a cavern door-way, soft words of "Hello babe", and several other things being spoken, both occupants of the room obviously male."
In wonderment, you advanced back to the mentioned bedroom, and soon got yourself prepped for bed, laying down and finding sleep somewhat easily due to the make-up of all the mattresses within the dragons dweelings. The mattresses were filled with small bits of herbs and spices so to speak. like potpourri in a sense, designed to help the mind and body relax and un-wind from a long day, and you soon found yourself fast asleep, peacfully within the warm, comforting bed.
(Part two, the first of three wars. And the ending results. He has survived, but there is something that brought him back. More specifically -someone-. And being stuck in a place such as that....something had come out with him as well. The question is...what?)