Ding!

  Status Update

  Name: Anesu

  Mutupo: Dragon

  Bonded relics: 1

  Jena Dragon lair

  Base Attributes

  Strength: 2

  Dexterity:1

  Constitution:1

  Intelligence: 5

  Wisdom: 6

  Charisma: 7

  Class: pending

  Abilities: Pending

  Minimum base attributes thresholds required for awakening

  Good luck!

  The Ding momentarily distracted me from the glory before me but not for more than a second. What was before me was far more interesting. I had never seen a lair before but I thought I knew what it should look like. A dragon lair, as the name implies, should be a cave with the dragon’s precious hoard. Yes, this was a cave. Yes, there was a hoard but the aesthetics were not what a cave should be. It was beautiful, clean and well organized. Everywhere I looked, everything glimmered with a soft shimmering glow.

  Jena’s lair, well mine now, if the Ding is to be believed, was simply stunning. It felt and looked like a home, a place that someone, not some animal, lived. Maybe, Jena was not really a dragon after all. Jena could have been a person with a dragon totem, just like me. I don’t know why, when the Ding had said this was a dragon liar, I had assumed it meant an actual dragon owned this space. Was I wrong? In some stories, dragons can shape-shift into human form. Maybe this could mean I was right - Jena was a dragon and could shape-shift. I don’t know why my mind really wanted Jena to be a dragon but I decided to leave that for later. I should just explore the lair and hopefully will get the answers I needed. At the very least I should be able to figure out my next steps.

  The lair was a circular cavern of some sort, large and spacious. My three bed-roomed house back home, would fit in the cavern at least three times over. The ceiling was so high that three of me standing on top of each other would still not touch it. How would one clean a ceiling this high? I wondered. Magic, of course!

  Both the wall and the floor looked like they were made from granite rock. The floor was polished to a shine that I was sure was not natural. The walls weren’t as shinny as the floor but they were very smooth, without a break or a seam anywhere. Even where the floor and wall met, it was a smooth, curved transition. It was like this whole craven was curved out of one giant rock. I don’t know much about construction, so this left me wondering if it was built magically or this was simply skilled architecture. Either way, the shape and feel of the place was of someone carefully making and maintaining this lair. So why could I claim it? Where and who or what was Jena?

  In the center of the cavern was a circular pool, surround by five thick, circular pillars that rose all the way to the high ceiling. From where I was sitting, I estimated that each of the pillars couldn’t be thicker than my waist. My current waist, that is. I chuckled. Being young will take a while to get used to. The pillars were made from the same rock as the floor and wall. Their placement around the pool, forced the eye to divide the cavern into five sections, making it look like one giant circular studio apartment.

  I was still sitting where I had woken up. I drew my legs away from my chest and stretched them in front of me. I must have looked a sight. My pink robe was looking like I had retrieved it from a donkey’s mouth, all wriggled and dirty. My hair was in a mess from the tumble. Luckily, dreadlocks do not get tangled up too bad. A few tags later, they were all neat and tied at the back. I patted my my robe to try and smooth it out as I looked for my stick. I couldn’t find it. For a moment, I had forgotten that I don’t need it to walk anymore.

  I looked back were I had tumbled down from, still searching for my stick. Even if I don’t need it, it was still my stick and I wanted it. I frowned. How did I get in? There was no opening. There was just smooth surface and my stick laying on the floor near the wall. I looked around hoping that maybe I got disoriented and I looking in the wrong direction. As far as I could see, there was no opening visible. This made me more than slightly uncomfortable. It was beginning to feel like this was not a random event. Someone or something has deliberately brought me here and shut me in without an exit. Yes, I had escaped the mist this way but it still felt wrong. Dread was building in my gut. Instead of focusing on this though, I decide to continue exploring the magical circular lair that I now owned. That’s right, bury my head in the sand. Ever the optimist.

  I stood up and walked towards the pool. The section, where I had been sitting, looked like a sitting area with a circular fire pit and multi-colored pillow neatly pilled to one side. The pit could comfortably sit 10 people around it, cross-legged. I didn’t dare touch anything yet for fear of unintentionally triggering some magic. I wanted to take in the whole space first. I walked round the fire pit and made my way to the pool. As I got closer to the pool, I could see that, although the pillars were smooth, they had images etched underneath their surfaces. The images looked like a mixture of geometrical shapes and stick drawings. Their beauty was hypnotic, I almost touched the nearest pillar before I realized what I was doing.

  The pool, it’s self, was too still and clear to be natural. It had the same glow as everything else. When I lean over it I could see clearly down to the very bottom although I couldn’t tell how deep it was. The soft glowing ceiling reflected over the pool was so mesmerizing. I stood there for a while, leaning slightly over the pool, just enjoying and soaking in the beauty. The pool was slightly bigger than the fire pit and just like the fire pit, it had a pile of cushions. I walked around the pool without touching anything.

  From the pool, I decided to explore clockwise from the fire pit/sitting area. The next section next to the fire pit area was what I termed the kitchen. There were three free standing, wooden shelves and a table counter. The counter was really long and wide; I figured, two of me could lay on it head to head, with arms spread open and fit very comfortably. Why would anyone need such a big kitchen counter? Just like the pillars, it was smooth with the same etching underneath it surface. Even the drawers under the counter had the same etchings. Behind the counter stood the three shelves. The first, to my right, had solid panels and its doors were shut. There other two where open shelves, just wooden frames really. The middle one was filled with pots, pans, plates, cloths the usual kitchen utensils. The last one was strange. It was filled with empty glass jars of all sizes, shapes and colors. Some of the jars were so small they can only be called vials. What kind of a kitchen did Jena run in here?

  I carried on to the next section which I assumed was the bedroom area. There was a sleeping mat and some neatly folded heavy cloths which I assumed to be blankets. They looked hand woven and warm. The top one had the same weirdly interesting etching woven into it. There wasn’t much in this area except a solid black screen near the wall. I walked behind the screen and I saw a clay tub and a clay pot. They both had the weirdly interesting etchings and a smooth finish. The tub looked like a bathtub, big enough for me to sit with my legs stretched out. I assumed the smaller pot was a chamber pot. I hoped there was a magical way to empty the pot otherwise I would be in trouble.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  If I had to point to Jena’s hoard. The next section was it. It was stacks and stacks of boxes, sacks, and huge clay pot like containers. The stacks extended all the way to the wall and coming right up to the pillar at the pool area. Here and there, the tops of shelves poked out, half-buried in the hoard. Looking at the pile was both exciting and a little deflating. I was excited because dragon hoard could mean any amount of treasure. I was a little disheartened because if the knowledge I needed was somewhere within this pile, it was going to take for ever to find it. There important thing, I reminded myself, was that, there was a possibility of finding the information I needed in hoard. And that, cheered me right up.

  I couldn’t go through the hoard to get to the other side and explore the last section. I had to go round the pool. Although the last section had be closer to me when I started exploring, I had reserved it for last because it was very bizarre. There were two rows of wooden open shelves encircling this section. This should have made it look like a library or study area if the shelves were packed with books. Instead it looked and felt like weird a trophy room. The shelves were packed full of what I assumed to be soapstone carvings. They were a mixture of different things from animals, trees, leaves, tiny people and even geometrical shapes. It was all random and varied. Most of the figurines smaller than my palm.

  I carefully made my way to the center of the weird museum, making sure not to touch anything. In the center was a wooden desk and the most comfortable looking chair ever. Both the desk and chair had the weirdly interesting etchings. The chair had cushions on the back and on the seat. The back of the chair rose was high enough to allow the sitter to rest their head. It looked so comfortable. There desk was clear except of a single open book in the center near, on the side with the chair. There was also a lizard figurine laying next to the book. It looked like someone had arranged everything just so. I moved closer to look at the book without touching. What were chances I that I could read it in this world?

  The booked was opened to the very first page and it seemed like a journal entry. There was no date or anything just any entry in long hand. And I could read it!

  If you are reading this, it means you are dragon-kin and I am gone. It also means you are probably the only dragon-kin left. I left this library to help you on your journey and help you avoid the mistakes I made. It enchanted for dragon-kin only because I was afraid it might fall into the wrong hands. At the end of this journal there is a spell to bring the library to life again. I hope you have at least some magic to do that otherwise you will not survive or be of service to this world.

  Without thinking, I pulled the chair and sat download. I realized what I was doing when I was already sitting and sinking in the cloud of comfort. I waited a bit to see if any magic would be triggered. Nothing. Good. But my discomfort was growing despite my willingness to learn magic. This single paragraph has answered and raised so many questions. Dragon mutupo were a real thing. Jena was no dragon he just had the same mutupo as me. He called us dragon kin and I am supposed to have magic in me. I liked that part, it means I could use magic to go back.

  The part I didn’t quite like was that I needed magic to survive or serve this world. The implication is I was here to do something. They brought me here without even asking me and have the audacity to tell me to survive and serve this world. I wasn’t doing that. At 87, I wasn’t looking to survive or be heroic. I had done my share of that in my world. All I wanted was to retire quietly. No big audacious dreams or heroics for me. I have earned the right to just be and enjoy my life. Whoever brought me here had no idea who they brought. I dance to my own tune. Anger rose in my chest. Who do they think they are?

  I leaned forward, toward the book and turned to the last page. I frowned. The page was full of beautiful, intricate mandalas. I turned the book over to look at the back cover just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Yes, this was the last page, thus the mandalas were the spell and I had no idea how use it. Did this mean I didn’t have any magic? I turned to the first page again.

  I have written this with the assumption that you have had no one to instruct you. In this journal I have written and explained all you need to know to reach your first threshold and unlock you dragon-kin class and abilities. After that you need to grow yourself. Each dragon has it own path and so are the dragon kin.

  I write the following, not as an apology but as an explanation and caution. Don’t follow my path. This is important. Unlike you, I grew up knowing what it meant to be dragon born. I had the rule that govern and shape all dragon kin conduct drilled in me from birth : One should never kill sentient beings, no exceptions. The consequences are dire.

  Wait! What? I read the last part again. What kind of world was I in, where people need a rule to know that they shouldn’t kill each other. Seriously, why would anyone need to explaining to kids they shouldn’t kill others. What’s wrong here? What am I missing? I read the sentence again. One should never kill sentient beings. It was also phrased strangely - sentient beings.

  When evil starting walking on this world more freely, my kin left this world. They felt this restriction did not allow them to fully defend themselves. I, however, remained. I thought ,I could circumvent the system. After all, I was one of the most powerful and wise mages of my time. I amassed wealth for myself and my people and build a city ruled with justice and mercy. In my na?veté, I thought that was enough to protect me and mine. Alas, how wrong I was. I had forgot that people have free will and sometimes they make stupid choices. Even though my city was founded on peace and harmony, not everyone wanted to be united and work towards maintaining it. Greed, is a powerful motivator. Some of my city people , knowingly and others unknowingly, aligned themselves with evil just so they could have more. The Grootslang’ waged war with us for decades after decades underground until it found a weapon that could have wiped every living being in my city. When it finally made itself and intention obvious, it was too late for us. My only options were either to abandon my people or break the dragon law and suffer the consequences. I choose the later, to give my people a chance at survival. But before I left I build this lair and library to guide the next dragon kin who would be born in this world or summoned from another world. In exchange. all I ask is that you use your power to help my city, if it still exist. I don’t know what they might be facing but I know dragon-power is potent and would make a lot of difference in lot of lives. Then after you have done your best to help them, you can leave this world like the other dragon kin did. I cannot force you or make you do my bidding but I can promise you all the knowledge you need in this liar. The treasury is yours to do as you will.

  I sat back stunned. It was sad story, really but I couldn’t focus on that. I had so many questions but my mind zero in on what mattered the most to me. Since I wasn’t born here, the logical conclusion was had been summoned into this world. By who? Jena? Why me? This was inter-world slavery. Someone, somewhere thought, “Oh, great! We need a dragon kin. Oh, that old woman will do. We will magic her to this random world!” Then wham, I was thrown into the deep end. And now I had to figure things out!

  There more I thought about this, the more the anger rose in me. I was brought here, not even against my will but without my knowledge. They just moved me like a chess piece. No consultation or warning, nothing. This smelt of slavery. Now Jena wants me to be of service! He wants me to help a world, I don’t know or care about! Who helped me? I had lived a long and fruitful life and these were supposed to be my years of taking it slow and enjoying the moment. This was supposed to be my retirement not another whole new life that I didn’t choose.

  My anger was now a hot lava burning in my chest and rising up looking for an outlet. I was losing my mind! I felt too big for my skin! I needed to do something. I balled my hands into a fist and squeezed. That didn’t help. They anger was roiling within me. I cast my eyes about and landed on the lizard figurine. I grabbed it, intending to hit the table with it.

  “About time, Anesu!” A deep gravely voice said, sounding put out.

  For an moment, I thought it was the Ding, which made my anger hotter. Then I realized the voice was outside my head. A cold wave washed over me and my anger went from roiling to a simmer instantly, replaced by fear. Someone was here with me?