[WARNING! Filler Chapter, you can skip this, but this chapter will discuss dragons in this story, and you might miss some information]
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It was in the twilight years that dragons heard what was described as "the siren song of death," an undeniable instinct pulling them toward oblivion.
This call grew louder, like static in the mind, drowning out their thoughts and desires as the days passed. For some, this twilight state could last centuries, but few would call it a life worth living.
Ancient dragons suffering this fate often sank into deep melancholy, retreating into their minds, their once-mighty souls darkened by an overwhelming sense of finality.
Eventually, they would choose to embrace death, seeking out a place of great significance — perhaps a cavern filled with their most cherished possessions — where they would rest in peace.
This final act was seen as one of great dignity among dragons, and to disturb such a grave was considered an unforgivable offense in draconic society.
In rare cases, however, some dragons did not pass peacefully into the afterlife. Instead, they became eternal guardians, bound to protect their sacred resting grounds for all eternity.
Horizon now understood why so many ancient caverns throughout Eternia and Drakha were home to these dragon sentinels — forever standing watch over the remnants of their treasures.
While ancient dragons were indeed formidable, there exists an exceedingly rare and terrifically powerful category known as the great wyrm.
These dragons were epic in every sense of the word. Their power was legendary, their minds unparalleled, and their ambitions world-shaking.
Becoming a great wyrm was not a matter of time, but choice. An ancient who wishes to embark on this journey must make a difficult decision. They must consume half their wealth, including the single most valuable object in their possession.
This gluttonous display knew no cheat or loophole, as it was founded upon an ancient magic that cannot be circumvented.
To most dragons, such an act was torturous in the extreme. They would rather die peacefully surrounded by their hard-earned gains than make such a sacrifice.
For this reason, great wyrms were feared among their peers and beyond. Even deities have cause to respect these creatures, who may even ascend to godhood themselves.
These were the Seven Azhurmas, the ancient dragon lords who ruled over Drakha, and Horizon would later come to know them by their full titles: Aureus Fulgen of the Golden City, Baastherox of the Titan Wastes, Dehrilya of the Obsidian Plains, Kuxcoatl of the Arcanum Wilds.
It was the Arcanum Wilds where Horizon should have landed — but fate, or rather, Nixis, had other plans.
Nixis' interference had diverted him to the Catacomb Reaches. Meanwhile, his companion Von now wandered the Arcanum Wilds, trying to acquire a map from the strange and reclusive locals there.
Then there was Rawraxxa of the Shrilling Sands and, finally, Sivax who presided over the paradise of Paradis.
Together, these seven great wyrms upheld an unspoken agreement, a fragile but enduring balance between them that governed the vast and hostile land of Drakha.
Each in their own domain, powerful beyond imagination, but bound by the necessity of keeping the other in check.
It was during his time in Nixis' lair that Horizon began to understand why he'd developed a sudden, insatiable obsession with treasure, much like the dragoness herself.
It wasn't merely Nixis' influence — it was the innate, primal nature of dragons and their connection to their hoards.
"Other creatures must build their homes by hand!" Nixis often scoffed, lounging atop her glittering pile of riches. "Can you imagine the sheer inconvenience of it? The labor, the sweat. Such trivial matters are beneath us.
"Our lairs form themselves while we rest, shaping to our will. And what we cannot create, we simply coax you humanoids into crafting for us. Quite a delightful arrangement, don't you think?"
She'd roll lazily on her back, half-buried in gold, continuing her musings.
"Our affection for treasure often amuses or disgusts others, but they could never understand. For us, a single coin brings more satisfaction than a thousand fleeting moments of happiness for your kind.
"A humanoid would spend gold on frivolous things that last but an instant, but we . . . we bask in it for centuries. The weight of it, the shimmer. That's a pleasure no lesser creature could ever fathom."
Her words echoed in Horizon's mind, and with each day spent in the Catacomb Reaches, he found the allure of wealth pulling at him.
The sight of glittering coins and priceless relics stirred something deep within — an ancient and undeniable connection to dragonkind.
From the day it first hatches, a dragon begins collecting treasure. Describing this behavior as mere greed fails to do justice to the practice by an order of magnitude.
It was an instinctual drive as integral to a dragon's life as eating, breathing, or sleeping. Collecting treasure impacts a dragon's life on all levels.
Gazing upon their wealth provides psychological satisfaction that could only be described as euphoric. Their magic fed off the treasure, enhancing a dragon's growth and evolving their powers.
Dragon lineages and societies use hoards as a social currency, finding mates and establishing dominance over rivals through its opulence. It even serves a physiological function.
In the same way humanoids live healthier in a well-kept home furnished with amenities, a dragon lives well when surrounded by valuable possessions.
Museum, bank, and bedroom all rolled into one, a dragon's hoard was a true marvel. It served as a magical catalyst to a dragon's inherent power and was the result of effort on a scale inconceivable to most mortal creatures.
To say a dragon was proud of its hoard was an understatement. A dragon's hoard was a symbol of all its accomplishments, the envy of its peers, the fantasy of mortals, the source of countless pleasures, and the nurturer of its growth.
Nixis had once told him, with a dismissive flick of her tail, that he was only a halfling — merely a shadow of true dragon blood. The desire to hoard treasure wasn't as overpowering for him as it was for pure dragons, she claimed.
Yet, even with that diluted instinct, the urge gnawed at Horizon's mind, driving him nearly mad at times.
He shuddered to think what it must be like for true dragons, whose very essence was bound to the insatiable pull of wealth and power. His own cravings were intense enough, but had he not become one of Nixis' brood, marked by her control, he feared he might have succumbed to the madness and stole her treasures.
Nixis, in her sly way, had laid claim to him — her broodling. She could rein in his greed, control it just enough to ensure he kept his hands off her own hoard.
For now, at least, her presence kept the dragon in him at bay. But Horizon knew the hunger was always there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for the chance to take hold.
"Don't be ridiculous. We don't want your valuables for the sake of avarice. Some are simply very shiny, and others taste good. Getting philosophical about the concept of value is pointless. We know what we want, and that isn't going to change," Nixis said.
"Over my long life I have collected thousands of arcane curios from countless cultures. I remember where, when, and how I acquire each with perfect clarity, and others of my kind are similarly diligent. Let that be a warning to any of you who think we won't notice if even a single coin is out of place.
"Over my many years, one truth has proven absolute: treasure can always get shinier."
Horizon shot him a dead glance.