*thunk
Since I was focused on the white creatures behind me I didn't notice the massive white wall approaching and ran straight into it.
Having been knocked down by the impact I quickly collected my self and leaned against the white wall. Seeing that I had nowhere to flee now the white creatures approached slowly, being wary of my tubes. I was running out of energy, now that I was trapped there was nothing left I could do. I could struggle till the end but that wouldn't last long. I screamed in my mind,
"Help... Please, help... Anyone... Anything. "
From who or what I was asking for help from I don't know. Perhaps the strange noises that came to my mind periodically could cause a miracle to happen. Anything would be fine, anything to let me escape.
But it was hopeless. Seeing that there was no way out for me I consigned to my destiny and let my self slide down the white wall. As I let my vision go dark I saw the white creatures leap towards me.
I waited for the pain to start.... but it never came.
Then I heard another noise in my head. A new noise, this one was soft and welcoming like the first noise I heard but it felt warmer and much closer.
"Open your eyes little one, there's no need to be afraid now."
"Eyes? What are eyes?" I thought.
Unlike all the noises before this noise responded.
"They are what you use to see, little one."
Understanding now that the ability to see was connected to these things called eyes, I let the light return to my vision.
"Yes little one, those are your eyes."
When I opened my eyes I saw that the white creatures were missing. But I also couldn't see the source of this noise. I looked around trying to find it to no avail.
"Up here little one. "
Following the directions given by the noise I look up and to my supprise coming out of the white wall was a long white tube. At the end of this long white tube was the source of the noise. Or so it claimed, for me I could hear the noise directly in my head.
"What are you doing in this part of the forest little one, where are your parents?" the noise continued.
"What are parents?" I responded.
"They are the ones that birthed you, the ones that take care of you. Do have anyone like that, little one?"
Parents... I've been alone for most of my existence, there was the sound that anounced my birth but it didn't take care of me. There was the green tube that was with me for a while but it also took care of me. Thus I concluded,
" I have no parents. "
"Is that so little one, that would explain why you have no name."
"Name.... what's.. a na... me...?"
Now that I had calmed down, I was hit by a sudden wave of fatigue.
"It's OK little one, I can see that you are low on stamina. Wrest easy without worry. I will watch over you tonight." the noise reassured.
And with that my consciousness drifted away into darkness. When I came back to my senses I was lying flat on the cool dampness. I'd forgotten to bury my lower portion last cycle before I lost consciousness. Looking straight up I could see the long white tube that came out of the massive white wall.
"Good morning little one, how did you sleep?"
Once again the noise rang out in my mind saying words I didn't understand.
"What is a morning, what is sleep?"
"hmmm... To not know basic things such as these. You really don't have parents do you. Well, then I shall teach you. Morning is the beginning of the day, it is the time you awake."
I tilt my head in confusion since the noise keeps saying things I don't understand.
" What is a day? What does it mean to awake? " I ask in response.
" I see, although your Int Stat is higher than usual you still don't know what you've never learned before. Tell me little one, what do you see through your eyes."
"Eyes!!! I know what eyes are. They help me see. What do I see?... I see brown obstructions all around us, with green blades coming out of them, I see the green blades coming out of the cool dampness. I see the blue up above with the fluffy white floating in the blue. I see a giant white wall with a white tube coming out of it. " I say excitedly, finally understanding something the noise said.
" Hohoho" the noise chuckled.
"I see, you have basic understanding of shapes and colors at least, but describe me as a wall and tube, how rude, hohoho."
"Let us start with the basics then little one, those brown obstructions you see are called 'trees' . The green blades that come out of them are called 'leaves' . The cool dampness is called the 'ground' , the green blades coming out of the ground is called 'grass'. The blue up above is called 'sky', and the white things floating in the sky are called 'clouds'. And, finally, this massive white wall and tube you see... "
Then as if compelled by the noise, the white wall started to move, at first it was slow but then suddenly it was lifted up off the cool dampness. Before now stood, not a massive wall but, a giant creature. A magnificent creature that inspired awe in any who saw it. It's whiteness glistened in the light. There were four appendages coming out of the lower part supporting the massive creature and on the top there were to more appendage, very long, white and beautiful sheets covered these top appendages. There were also two tubes coming out of the ends. One tube was ponty at the end and the other tube, the one I could already see before, was flatter at the end.
"... is me."
Awe struck by this magnificent creature before me, I stumbled back and onto the cool dampness, or rather the ground.
"I am the Ancient White Dragon, one of the remaining true dragons in this world. My name is Daiine."
"Daine?"
"Hohoho, close little one but not quite. It is Daiine (Dai-EEn) with a long EE."
"Dai..een?"
"Very good little one. Now what should I call you, for I can't keep referring to you as 'little one' after all."
What to call myself. Well to be honest I don't know. I don't even know what I am.
"I don't know." I thought in response.
"Well it is true, that you have no name. Let's see, why don't I give you one then. I shall name you... Ashkyr (Ash-kEEr)."
"Congratulations, you've finally been named, Hehehe."
"You have acquired the title 'Named By a Dragon'."
After receiving a name from Daiine, multiple noises rang in my mind. I looked around in shock.
"Not to worry Ashkyr. That was just the voice of Aria, the Goddess of Births and Beginings. You should have heard her voice when you were born."
Now that Daiine mentioned it that noise did sound familiar.
"What about the second noise, the noise without emotion?" I asked.
"That would be the voices of the twin gods, Systine and Xist. Systine is the Goddess of Order while Xist is the God of Chaos. They are the ones who send out the system announcements, the 'noises' as you call them, when something changes in our status. Their voices are identical so you never know which is sending you the announcement though."
Although I was given new information now, how these noises in my head are 'voices' of beings called God's and what not, I was filled more questions than I had before. But the question that weighd on my mind the most was" What am I? " I now had a name, Ashkyr, but what am I, what is my purpose and what will become of me. So I asked,
"Daiine,"
"Yes Ashkyr"
"What am I?"
"Hmm, I guess it would be easier to show you. Ashkyr, try thinking 'status'."
Those are some strange instructions but I guess it won't hurt to try.
"Status"
As I though 'status', a semi-transparent screen appeared before me. On this screen were multiple symbols and bars, much like the ones that appeared in the border of my vision when the voice, when the Goddess Aria, announced my birth and applied the system.
"I see symbols and bars but I don't know what they mean." I tell Daiine.
"Oh... Silly me, that's right. You don't even have any communication skills, of course you can't read. Here, I will teach you."
After that I was taught several things by Daine. Not just how to read, but how to talk using the hole in me called a 'mouth'. Daiine answered all my questions taught about my own anatomy, how the tubes on my lower portion are called 'roots' and my main body is called a trunk. She wouldn't tell me what I was though, saying I would figure that on my own when I could read my status, giving me some motivation.
I learned that these cycles of light and dark is called a day and night respectively. Daiine taught me the names of all the creatures that I had seen. About birds and rabbits, worms and butterflies, also the little beetle that taught me how to crawl.
I had stayed with Daiine for several days and every night before going to sleep Daiine would tell me stories about the Gods or about far away lands she used to visit when she was young.
These days with Daiine were nothing short of blissful.