Please have a look at the Creator's Thoughts Section at the bottom of this page.
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The soft murmuring of voices brought me out of my deep slumber. I had been dreaming of a time before I was a dragon and when I was a human just trying to make my way in the world.
My life was never easy, and I do not think anyone's is. We all have different problems and solutions; no one can tell us what to do on our chosen path. I had many struggles, but ultimately, I found my way and married the love of my life. Until you are knocking on death's door and there is nowhere to go forward, I think we all have room to forgive ourselves and try again. I made mistakes and wronged others, but in the end, you can only pick yourself back up and move forward. Life may surprise you.
Blinking my eyes, I cleared the nostalgia from my thoughts, and with that clarity came the crashing hunger that always seemed to accompany me in this form. I can firmly say that dragons usually stay evil because of this constant, gnawing hunger. Not for food but for more. Always wanting more.
That is why I could only admire my mom in this life. To overcome this and raise me with love, something creatures of darkness don't usually possess, is a fantastic feat.
Yeah. I will visit her when I can.
Focusing on what is happening before me, I see Elrond speaking with a blond-haired elf in hushed tones. If I remember correctly, this was the assistant of Elrond's in the movies and had been left to manage Rivendell while the elves fought in Mordor.
Snorting, I pushed up off the ground and stretched my neck until I was rewarded with several satisfying pops down my spine. From there, I raised my rear, did a reverse worm like a cat, and received several more pops.
Elrond glanced at me when I hummed in satisfaction. He quickly finished whatever he had discussed and waved the other elf away. Turning to me, he raised his eyebrow as a hint of amusement flickered in his eye.
"Did you sleep well, Tiberius?"
"Well enough, my friend," I playfully responded as I lowered myself back down. "I had a dream from my past, which was a happy one."
"Truly? I hope you enjoyed your break; I have had to work while you laid about," he stated haughtily.
"You are a lord of this realm. Work is normal," I said while rolling my eyes.
Elrond seemed to break character at that as he smiled at me, and the false atmosphere faded.
"How long was I asleep?"
"That is difficult to say. Time is perceived differently than a man's to the long-lived such as us. Would you prefer the long version or the short version?"
"Quit being uppity," I huffed. "How long has it been since the war ended?"
Now, someone who didn't know how dragons function would be looking at me weirdly because even elves sleep every night and wake up in the morning. Dragons, though, can fall asleep and slumber for decades if they are not careful, and I was not when I took my siesta.
"Oh. It has been three years. The start of this Third Age has been written."