The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the cobbled streets of the small village nestled beneath the mountains. The village inn, a quaint building with a weathered sign swaying gently in the breeze, beckoned with its warm lighting.
A man pushed open the inn's creaking door. Inside, the air was filled with murmurs, the smell of broth and clinking mugs as locals exchanged talks from their day. As the man approached, the stout innkeeper looked up from her tasks. "Good day to you, sir. What brings you to our humble establishment?" She greeted, wiping her hands on her apron. In the dimly lit corner, a group of villagers eyed the newcomer suspiciously.
The man cleared his throat and spoke calmly with a slight rasp, "I'm here for the belongings of the woman who stayed here a few weeks ago." A collective hush fell over the inn, and a few exchanged uneasy glances. The innkeeper, wiping her hands on a cloth, squinted at him. "Are you now? Haven't seen you around here." The man nodded solemnly. "I've been away. We were supposed to meet, but she never arrived."
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow, scepticism etched on her face. "We ain't just handin' belongings over to anyone. Prove you're who you say you are."
With a sigh, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant. The innkeeper eyed the pendant, recognition crossing her face; it was undoubtedly the one the woman had worn when she came in that day." Why do you have this?" She asked, suspicious.
The crowd in the inn leaned in, their expressions a mix of curiosity and doubt.
The man sighed, his brows furrowing. Clearly not used to being questioned, his eyes glowed as he repeated, "I'm here for the belongings of the woman who stayed here a few weeks ago." The innkeeper blinked, her eyes glazed over slightly, and she gestured to the stairs.
"Alright, you can check her room. Third from your left," she murmured, swaying slightly. The sheen in her eyes cleared as someone bumped into her behind the counter. 'Wha-where is he?' she turned to him, already ascending the creaky stairs. "When did he get there?" She held her head as a headache began to form. "Are you okay, mama?" her son asked, looking worriedly between his mother and the man.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she reassured the child, then turned to the man. "But mind you, we'll be watchin'," she called out. As the man disappeared around the corner, conversations buzzed around the inn.
"Another outsider, here for the missing one?" The villager whispered.
The innkeeper leaned in to whisper to a nearby villager, "Keep an eye on him. We can't afford any trouble. There's something strange about him," she shuddered.
A grizzled old man sitting by the hearth shook his head. "Nah, the Dragon Lord wouldn't allow one of those attackers in our village. He'd burn 'em to a crisp."
"I think there was a fight a few weeks ago; I could hear everything when hunting. I feared I might be caught in the crossfire." The man said, his eyes widened with the memory.
"Those traffickers never learn. The Lord is much too powerful for them to take down." Another villager shook her head. The rest murmured in agreement.
"We owe our lives to the Dragon Lord," another elderly man said, his eyes shining with gratitude. "He has fought off those invaders and kept us safe."
A younger villager nodded vigorously. "True! We should be thankful. No one can harm us under the Dragon Lord's watch."
Another villager interjected, "But what if this man is connected to those attackers? We can't let our guard down." The concerned look on their face mirrored the unease spreading through the crowd.
The man emerged with a bundle in his arms. The innkeeper eyed him one last time before giving a curt nod. "You've got what you came for. Best be on your way." He nodded, giving a sweeping glance at the whole room before leaving. The villagers exchanged more words as the doors closed behind him, their expressions varying from suspicion to curiosity.
"Did you see the look he gave? Shifty, I tell you."
"What's he want with the lady's things after all this time?" Another questioned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"We might never know." the man gave a resigned shrug.
"Someone should follow him and make sure he leaves the village." the innkeeper said, worriedly holding her child's hand.
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Yara awoke with a start, the first rays of dawn casting a soft glow through the tattered curtains of the manor. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she rubbed her eyes and swung her legs off the bed. The floor was cold against her bare feet as she approached the entrance.
She was sure she had heard something. 'Did the dragon finally return after moping?' When she opened the door, she gasped. Her belongings, neatly arranged in her satchel, were stacked outside her room.
She blinked in disbelief. How did her things get here? Had the dragon really brought them back? Her gaze darted around the hallway, but there was no sign of the colossal creature.
"What in the world?" she muttered as she gingerly picked up her bag, unfastening the clasp to find everything neatly organised. The clothes, the trinkets, and even her favourite dagger were all in place. Yara's fingers traced over the familiar fabrics and items. This was getting weird.
She scanned the hall once more before heading back into her room. Having her things back, it would be easier for her to leave. All she had to do now was find her way out of the woods surrounding the manor. She might need the dragon to get her at least halfway through it.
However, there was no sign of the dragon itself.
Days passed, and there was no sign of the dragon. Yara glanced at the sky occasionally, half-expecting to see those massive wings hovering. She went about her routine, clearing the manor and its surroundings, keeping her eyes out for it.
It suddenly appeared one sunny day at what she liked to call its sunbathing spot, its eyes peering at her with curiosity and caution.
"Hey," Yara called out tentatively, remembering the last time she spoke to it. The dragon regarded her with an unreadable expression but didn't turn away this time.
Summoning courage, Yara stepped forward, meeting the dragon's gaze. "Look, about last time," she began, her voice holding a rare note of humility, "I shouted, and you... well, you roared in my face. Let's just say it wasn't a great start." It made itself comfortable as she spoke.
"I... I'm sorry for shouting at you. It's just being stuck here is driving me a bit mad."
The dragon's response was a dismissive snort, its gaze drifting away. Yara sighed, realising she shouldn't expect apologies from a creature so proud.
"Fine, no apologies. But we've got to find a way to coexist for the sake of those eggs. I haven't even been able to see them," she said.
The dragon growled at the mention of the eggs, its large wings rustling slightly as they raised.
"Hey! Hey! I know you feel it, too; I need to see the eggs. Something is going on that I can't explain." she said, raising her hands.
"You know it too. That's why you've kept me here. At least let me see them once, and we can know what is happening," she said.
It glared at her, clearly not wanting to give in. Seeing that it working, she pressed on. "Thanks for bringing my things back. I appreciate it," Yara said.
The dragon merely blinked; it didn't deny nor acknowledge her words. She wasn't expecting it to, but there was no other plausible explanation for how the satchel got here.
She put her hands on her hips and walked round to where its face was. "So, are you taking me to the eggs or not?" The dragon released a plume of smoke on her face. "Urgh, will you stop that?" she said, waving the smoke away. The dragon simply rolled on its side to sunbathe.
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One day, the dragon approached her while she was gathering wood for the cold season. It watched her for a few minutes before it began walking around with her. She finally had enough after nearly tripping over its tail for the fourth time.
"Alright, what's going on? Can't you see I'm trying to work here?" she scolded. "If you aren't helping, then go to your corner," she added, pointing to its sunbathing spot.
The dragon stared at her as if processing the fact she had scolded it, then blew steam in her face. Yara coughed, waving the smoke away. The dragon nudged her roughly with its claw, staring at her expectantly.
"Hey, watch it!" she tried to move away, but it persisted. "What's gotten into you suddenly?" the dragon growled, clearly frustrated. It grabbed a stack of wood and showed it to her.
"You want me to pick wood?" she asked, confused.
The dragon raised its head, blowing flames into the air. The heat felt a little comforting in the Harvestgleam chill. It looked down at her, nudged her with the claw holding the wood, and then glanced up to the sky, raising its wings slightly.
"You want to take me flying?" she asked slowly, eyes brightening as it nodded. Then she frowned.
"Are you saying to hang on to your claws? Seriously? Can't I just ride on your back like a normal person?" she argued, not thrilled about the idea of being clutched by dragon talons.
It shook its head vehemently, giving her a look that clearly said she wasn't worth it.
"This scaly piece of-" she took a deep breath, "look, it wouldn't be safe for me to be on your claws. What if you get attacked by other dragons? How would you fight?"
The dragon simply gave her a pointed look and nudged her again. She frowned, realising there was no getting through to this creature. "Okay, hold on." She ran into the manor to grab her satchel. The dragon's eyes narrowed at it, teeth bared as it growled in warning.
"Hey! Don't be like that; I might need something in here while we're out." The dragon remained still. "Come on, it will get late soon, and we won't be able to do anything," she said, hands on her hips as she stared at it.
It finally relented and opened its claw. She walked up to the open claw and slowly climbed into it.
With a powerful flap of its wings, the dragon took off, soaring through the skies. As the wind roared in her ears, Yara clung to its scales, alternating between awe and terror and cursing up a storm in her mind as the landscape below rapidly changed.
The forest was surprisingly large, and the cavern from last time was in the rocky mountain face. 'It would definitely be hard for me to find my way out alone.' she thought as they descended. The dragon landed gracefully on a ledge, and Yara dismounted with a huff. "You know, you could be a little less rough about it," she grumbled, her legs trembling from the rush of the ride.
Ignoring her complaint, the dragon led her through the deep cavern hidden within the mountains.
Sunlight filters through small openings at the top of the cavern roof, casting beams that dance around the gems and create pockets of brightness. The air sparkles with the dance of dust particles, catching the light like minuscule stars. The play of light and shadow makes the place feel alive despite its stillness. Even though she had been here before, she didn't remember it being so beautiful.
The fact that she was fearing for her life at that point probably added to that. As they walked further in, delicate chains made of precious metals hung from the ceiling, each adorned with a different gem. The dragon's raised tail touched them, causing them to chime gently. She stood in awe as the soft melody echoed.
The air carries a faint scent, a mixture of damp earth and the metallic tang of the treasures. The dragon growled, and she turned to see him at the end of the tunnel. She could feel its impatient glare from there. Yara didn't know dragons could be so expressive.
'There's still so much to learn about you guys.' she thought as she ran across the passage. They walked silently as the mounds of treasure grew higher, and the floor got covered with gems. They finally reached the large cavern space just as Yara was about to give up and have the dragon carry her.
She took in the room again, the stones and other weird shiny knick-knacks piling up to the heavens. There, nestled in a bed of rocks, were the eggs. They seemed to pulse the closer she got to them. One, two, three-
"Six eggs?!" she turned to the dragon, who seemed to puff out its chest. "Yeah, yeah, of course you'd be proud." she turned back to the nest. According to what she knew, dragons usually had at most three to four eggs per clutch. She had never heard of six.
The dragon watched her every move, a low growl rumbling in its throat. Yara extended her hand tentatively, brushing her fingers over one of the eggs. The dragon's growl intensified. "I won't hurt them," she reassured, meeting the dragon's gaze. "I just want to help."
The atmosphere was tense, but Yara approached the eggs cautiously, driven by a strange connection. She noticed a peculiar stone in the nest that seemed to pulse with energy. Instinctively, she touched it. She felt weird as her fingers made contact as if her essence was being drawn away. The eggs glowed softly in the nest, absorbing the energy transferred from Yara.
The dragon, however, grew visibly tense. It shifted uncomfortably, eyeing Yara with a mix of wariness and protectiveness. She withdrew her hand, sensing the dragon's unease.
"Hey! I know you're worried, but you must let me get close to them. I can't exactly run away." she said slowly, waiting for its reaction.
The dragon's eyes narrowed, distrust lingering, but it made no aggressive move. Yara continued interacting with the eggs, offering each one a bit of her essence. After a while, Yara opened her eyes, blinking in confusion. She didn't remember closing them. "I think they'll be okay now," she said, turning to the dragon.
It walked up to the eggs and curled around them gently, blowing steam on them. The cave seemed to settle into a calm lull as it purred lowly. Yara could tell she had been shut out of the moment, which was great. She took a while to look around the space. Besides the passage they come in through, there is a small hole in the wall she had entered through the first time.
"This might be the only chance I get."
She peered at the dragon, still bonding with the glowing eggs and slowly made for the opening. Yara kept her eyes on it as she walked, cursing slightly as she bumped into some shields stacked haphazardly on the way. She turned to the dragon to see if it wasn't paying her mind. A mixture of relief and anxiety coursed through her veins. She knew she had a limited window before the dragon noticed her absence. Once outside, she broke into a sprint, leaves crunching beneath her hurried steps, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the dragon's lair.