Okay. How are we doing this.
2... no wait 3. 3 sources of magic in here.
The source of fire magic, likely my dead mother.
The source of ice magic right next to her, likely whatever weapon they used to kill her.
'Actually... that could be an ice Mage I guess? Or a magic creature? I dunno how this world work.'
It felt too... static to be a living source though. I dunno how else to describe it.
And then the third source was harder to notice cause it was... gentle? In any case I just noticed it now, after getting to the next 'room' in the cave, which had near nothing except some crevices and bits of bone left around.
Fire and ice are harsh elements, they stand out, but this was a gentle light. Stood out less.
Actually... it feels like something is hidden beneath that blanket of light I'm sensing.
That's worrisome. Okay.
I think... yes. I'm going to sneak around using my small size and the crevices of this cave, and try to hide somewhere close to one of these sources of magic.
[You gonna plan forever, or just GO? You're the slowest dragon I've ever seen.]
'Fine damn it! I'll go! There's nothing wrong with some caution!'
[Caution? Aren't you a dragon? These lower beings shouldn't require any thought.]
Didn't that so-called Goddess just reveal how little she thinks of human beings?
'I'm a BABY dragon. Not exactly able to rip castles apart yet.'
I had this miniature argument while moving, scampering from shadow to shadow. My dull red skin and lack of shiny scales due to my age made it easy to blend into the red-brown of the earthen walls.
And hello? What are you?
There was a lady, dressed in clothes much better kept than the man from before, and she appeared to be the source of that light energy.
So... that gentle feeling was closer! Now what is it? She isn't the actual source I don't think. It doesn't feel like it's quite hers, more like it's... covering her?
Where is it, where is the source-ah! Found it!
My gaze zeroed in on her hip, at a white wand-looking object.
Oh I'm a dumbass. Fantasy world, duh. That IS a magic wand! She's better dressed cause she's a wizard, or mage, whatever they call a wielder of magic in this world, and therefore more valuable; hence the better clothes.
'Wait why is the magic from the wand? Can humans only use magic through items of magic?'
...hey! What happened to that fake-god stuck in my head? Did you just bring me here, give me the bare essentials, and then fuck off?
What an irresponsible kidnapper...
However she did promise she'd help me absorb magic if I found it here, so... can I take the light AND the fire? They aren't conflicting elements... plus that wand is giving me the odd urge to chew it.
Wait I'm a dragon, not a dog! I don't play fetch with sticks!
The Wizard(Witch? I'm going wizard or witch based on the wand) began to move, walking down a side hall... towards the other sources of magic.
Where I'm going.
'Weeeeell... when in Rome...'
Aren't they bandits themselves? Yeah! Plus they technically murdered my dragon mother... mm-hmm! I can steal it!
Totally don't think that a magic wand might be tasty... wait dragons don't have a sense of taste. Fuck!
I crept forward while internally acting ridiculous, trying to push away anxiety and fear with internal humor as I snuck around.
How to steal the wand?
Its hooked in a leather loop, is pearly white, and has a weird spiral down its length... doesn't look like it's gonna slip out.
If she were to die, then I could take it. But that's wrong... I guess.
You know, society needs people, so we have laws to keep people together. So everyone follow the rules! Rule #1: Don't Kill people, unless you're a doctor! Than you can give or take death sentences as you PLEASE!
The wizard turned in confusion, hearing a high-pitched... mewl?
'Shit... I got angry, and dragon instinct made me roar... except that was pathetic! I sounded like a kitten!'
She looked about, confused.
Turning she shouted, "HEY! We got all the eggs right?"
"Yeah why?!"
"Thought I heard something."
A third voice jumped in with a bored voice, "Its a cave, we ALL hear something. Now let's get going."
...I don't like that bored voice. It held an undercurrent to it, as if a knife's edge lay underneath.
Whatever it is, my instincts are screaming danger.
[Ooh! I wonder how she got her hands on that! That's a pretty rare item there!]
'Wha? When did you get back!'
[I just went out to get snacks.]
'...'
Ignoring that... rare? The wand? Hm...
'It has more magic power than I do, is full of light energy, sure... physically it's a pearly white spiral-OH MY GOD THATS A UNICORN HORN.'
[Did you just notice? Mortals really are stupid.]
Excuse me for not expecting a unicorn horn right off the bat. Except... doesn't that mean this lady killed a unicorn?
This dark feeling passed through me. In this world, magic creatures were hunted and harvested as resources, just like animals such as beavers or cows on Earth had been.
I was one of those creatures. I was no longer one of the privileged humans. Now I was the animal to be hunted for resources.
You never realize how privileged you are until it's taken away.
These people will kill me, a baby creature, like a puppy or kitten. They will skin me, rip out my claws and teeth, and use my bones to make gear.
'No. I have suffered and wished for death, but I will not give up a life in which I can actually LIVE.'
A dull red shadow flickered in the corner of the woman's eye. She began to turn, as something jumped past her, slamming into her.
She tried to shout, but no voice left but a strange gurgle.
Falling back, she breathed in fluid, and coughed it back up, looking down at blood covering herself, flowing from her neck.
And a small, baby dragon stared at her with near-feral eyes full of something beyond fear or anger, but a simple primal desire to survive.
It was horrible. In movies people die easy. You shoot them in the chest, they fall down dead.
Quick. Easy.
There was nothing easy or quick about this.
She gurgled on her own blood, choking to death. My small claws ripped out her windpipe, my teeth not yet grown in to rip it out by mouth, like how my instinct almost tried.
Her body kept twitching, desperately fighting to stay alive.
Finally I couldn't take it.
I knew a slow death. Months of wasting away in agony.
I moved forward, and kept digging my claws into her flesh, trying to cut deeper as she weakly tried to push my away, too weak to even move my tiny body, and finally she stopped.
I wasn't sure if I managed to give her a quicker death by digging into her throat, but I hope I did.
After awhile, that voice finally spoke in a mocking tone. [What, are you horrified? Is killing another mortal scary? You gonna promise to never kill again?]
'...if I absorb more magic, and grow stronger, I can make sure the deaths of those I hunt are quick.'
[...huh?]
'Sigh... I spent a lot of time on a farm once, a friend of my mothers owned it. I know how the food chain works. I just need to get used to humans being just another creature. They aren't special, just another animal to hunt and be hunted.'
I don't think I understand how I feel, and who knows what will happen, but for now I'm shoving it all down and bottling it up. Right now I'll be okay.
I can hold on for now.
I turned my attention to my prize, and finally noticed the change.
In my shock I hadn't noticed, but the energy beneath the light, of the woman I now guessed, was releasing into the air, and being absorbed by the horn.
It felt soft and feather-like, but not the same.
[Oh wow! That's not a unicorn horn, it's an alicorn's horn! She must have absorbed the wind energies as they matched her mana, but now both it's power and hers are being drawn into the horn once released. You are one lucky ass dragon.]
Lucky? I literally am experiencing a deadly threat to my life as I'm being born! That's not what I call LUCKY. Though yes, finding the horn of a winged unicorn first thing is pulling my faith in coincidence a bit too far.
'Be honest. Did you manipulate something behind the scenes?'
[O-oh Hey! You should absorb it quick you know!]
...yeah... okay.
I crawled around the corpse, grabbing the horn between my gums and pulling it out of the leather loop, holding it in my mouth.
'So how does this work?'
[Just carry it. By being in physical proximity you'll slowly absorb its power with my help.]
Alright. Now let's go before someone finds her...
Doing my best not to acknowledge the truth of that, I continued sneaking towards the other two sources of magic power.