Chapter 1
Festival of Gashu
It was the first day of the new year and the whole country celebrates.
A tribute is held for the people who held on after the long harsh winters. Though it was still snowing and cold, the citizens hung around the massive town square for the evening celebrations.
The food stalls sold in the morning was completely free at night and given to the children.
I remember being given a sweetened apple, coated in liquid sugar.
"Don't eat too much or your human teeth will hurt."
My father teased me and got scolded by my mother later on. Of course, I tattled on him. The sugar apple was that delicious and I secretly asked for two more later on.
As we stayed longer on the streets, a dwarf called out to us and led us to an even bigger space.
It was a grassy area next to the royal palace and different beastmen welcomed us. Father was the first one to huddle with the others, removing his transformation spell and turned to his dragon form. Mother sighed and asked me if I wanted to stay there but I said no.
Weirdly so the country's king, a human, removed his accessories and was the first one to offer my father a basin of alcohol while enjoying a glass himself. There was the elven chief too who usually looked aloof during his morning walks but was the first to burst out laughing from the orcs and dwarves' jokes.
However they weren't the only ones to enjoy spending time with each other.
Mother remained in her human form discussing how silky the human queen's hair was.
I noticed how sly the queen was.
She knew the others were listening and immediately announced the country's new product for hair treatment. Even the lizard women who didn't have much hair were interested. That was because of the dwarven queen's invention, a detachable hair set.
The lycanthropes and werecats were sad though.
"I heard that the dwarf queen made transactions with those two tribes for a good amount of lint-free furniture. They were satisfied but lycanthropes and werecats have stronger 'hair' than horses you know."
Pearce, the young prince of Gashu and my bestfriend, whispered to me as if knowing my thoughts.
He was way taller than me in human form. I guess that's because he is almost an adult in human age...
When he appeared, my mother noticed immediately and let me play with him.
She gave me a ring to remain my transformation magic of a human since I still can't do it on my own.
"Pearce, where is Irazai? I want to see a human baby!"
Because I wanted to see his newborn sister, we went over to the royal tower where the daycare resided.
Upon entering, the maids welcomed us greatly. These were people who have already enjoyed the festival of new year earlier and continued their duties. Pearce and I brought them a basket of free food from the outside though.
"Oh? Did you want to see the princess, Eli?" The nanny chuckled at me, while crouching down to get Irazai from the human crib. "Do you see this? You are just a tiny bit bigger than her but you can already run while the princess sleeps this much."
"Can she run by next year?"
"Have you seen a baby run on the ground before?"
"No?"
"Yes, I hope they won't too. That would look scary." The other maids chuckled nervously with the nanny while I got confused.
Then one maid took me into her arms, "I remember the first time young master Eliron turned into a human. You were baby-sized but you ran around everywhere and even crawled on the walls. I... I had nightmares that night... Oh but it was indeed a good memory!"
Everyone laughed as they remembered those times.
Nanny Elen walked closer and showed Irazai to me.
"So small! She's as small as the sugar apple!"
It was a comment made due to comparison not for any other reason. While I was laughing away with the maids, I didn't knew then how a comment like that would become a trigger for change.
"Are you having fun Eli?"
Pearce asked beside me.
After visiting Irazai, we went back to the town square and sat in front of a puppet show with other children. It showcased the love and peace of different species with each other.
Honestly, even if I didn't watch that it was easy to see.
I repeated Pearce's question to myself and unconsciously took in the view of the town square.
Father was in his dragon form, letting the passed out beings rest on his back while chatting with the heads of certain species.
Mother was doing the same thing, also drinking wine now with the other mothers. I could hear them receiving advice from the elven priestess who came along to congratulate the human queen's labor of Irazai and blessing her from the goddess' kindness.
Seeing all of these small moments of peace...
Though they weren't necessarily my experience...
"I'm having so much fun!"
I couldn't help but chuckle after internalizing the happiness of everyone.
"You're having fun? With only this?"
My body flinched instinctually. I could feel that something was wrong but I couldn't pinpoint it. Pearce's words were... problematic. "With only this? What do you mean? I'm happy and satisfied exactly because we have peaceful times like this."
However Pearce had a different point.
"Well I mean you're a dragon, right? I bet powerful species like you aren't satisfied with complying with lesser beings' rules."
"I don't thi-"
"Don't lie." Pearce's smile who always seemed sincere looked scary. Before I could even protest against him he chuckled and said it was okay, then he left.
On that day, a bell rang ominously.
At the same time, the town square's circular pavement design glowed into a dangerous red...
"…?"
In a distant cave, deep below the ground, a young brown dragon looked up. Unfeeling eyes unconsciously trembling, before it lowered its head with a short sigh.
There was a hollow ringing of a bell somewhere.
It was akin to an alarm now.
For years and years being trapped in a cave like this, that bell was a sign of a new year. Another year being stuck in the damp underground. Breathing but not living.
"…gonna go to the festival?"
"Later. I wanna see the desert maidens dance."
"All hail the Demon King! Catching such beauties!"
"Hahaha! What luck!"
Echoing from the various human-sized tunnels was a disgusting conversation. The brown dragon, with the dirt clinging to him, felt more disturbed.
A century ago, a group of criminals banded together under the banner of great evil. The oracles received from the blessed ones above mentioned that it was the start of Ultimate Suffering. And in the world's most prosperous country, Gashu, was where they appeared first.
The Demon King that led unearthly beasts to the land occupied the area within a year and had become the priority to defeat by peaceful beings either human, elven, dwarven or beastmen.
"Ugh! This dragon smells!"
Strong current of water from mages hit the dragon. But the gigantic eye remained unblinking or unfazed, it laid down instead.
His yellow eyes watch the humans try but the seemingly formed rocks above its scales could not be penetrated, it was stuck there as if the dragon itself was only a massive rock salamander.
`Humans… they're disgusting. No, I shouldn't generalize them….`
Eliron, the young dragon of 200 and something years, sighed internally. When he was born, he was welcomed by the human societies along with his kin.
All kinds of species had no boundaries. They all laughed, sang and danced the same happy tunes. They shared food and comfort in the darkest times.
When he was young, Eliron was taught and grown to love his folkmen, and more so, the weak species of humans.
They were fragile but weirdly strong, soft but ultimately courageous, small but full of emotions. They were a bundle of gifts wrapped in one frame.
Humans had something fundamental that the other species did not. And yet despite the other species' opinion, the humans still felt inadequate.
Maybe that was why some humans cling to higher powers such as divine or evil.
Even some of his previous human friends were brainwashed thoroughly by darker powers. Just like the one who ordered his wash.
"Pearce. Have you come to kill me now?"
The bearded man glared at the dragon, Pearce, and clicked his tongue. The last time he went close to Eliron was when he was still a young man who trembled at the sight of it as he was being fed insecurities by the Demon King.
"Our Lord Gashu requests to prepare the place. Children will take our spot soon."
"Did you brainwash them too?"
"How dare you talk to our lord's method so recklessly? It is his genius plan to–"
"Ah yes, a genius plan to create mindless puppets. It's a good plan but doesn't it contradict your wishes?"
Pearce scowled at Eliron's words, "He has greater plans but the humans are part of that. I am only doing this for humanity's survival."
"Surely your parents are proud of you."
"Eliron!" Pearce growled. "Do not speak of them carelessly! They are traitors! The generation of theirs who willingly come under your species' wings! They had betrayed humanity's potential!"
Eliron's eyes changed, disgust and ridicule plastered on them.
Only a century ago they were bestfriends who wished for good things in each other's lives but now they roared at each other as if born to be enemies.
He couldn't help but chuckle lowly, a few humans were swept away by the natural hot breath and earth-like smell.
"Aren't you doing the same thing now? You talk about potential? You, Pearce, have sold humanity's future!" Eliron's mouth trembled in deep rage. "You were blinded by lies and a false sense of patriotism! What can a measly dark mage blessed by the underworld even do for you?! Do for us?! We are the inhabitants of this world! Yet you open up and shared all our insecurities and weaknesses, for a being who do not share an ounce of our experiences?! Fool! The lot of you!!!"
It was a century-worth of anger spewing from everyone's pain.
Pearce's parents, their neighbors, the elves who shared their excellence and wisdom, dwarves who help craft trinkets that amazes everyone, the beastmen who helped in the most basic daily necessities such as gathering water from the river or doing labor work.
All those peaceful moments, gone!
It was all because of a boy who thought differently, a boy who was insecure about their powerlessness without even reflecting on themselves of how great they were.
It was such… a tragedy.
That was all Eliron could think of. For the almost 20 years he was trapped here, he wondered why this happened. What the benefits in the long run would be and what would be the end.
The people whom he loved and treasured were gone.
"To whom… are all these for, Pearce? The people you care about now, are they worth all the people you've sacrificed? Those people who you've deceived but loved you unconditionally?"
Pearce' face was expressionless as he turned away.
As if there was no point for the conversation, the Demon King's middleman turned away. He left with the other lackeys of the dark.
With a heavy heart, Eliron, scowled and laid back down on the cold cavern floor.
As he closed his eyes and slept, he dreamt of the good times he had when he was young… when they were young… And as if time truly went back, he could hear a soft hum and a gentle caress on him.
"…It's okay. It'll all be okay…"