Chapter 5: Runes and Traveling

Authors notes:

Sorry for not uploading a chapter last week. I was on vacation and only arrived back home late yesterday evening so I did not have the time to upload/write a chapter, I hope you all will forgive me. Anyways here is another chapter of The White Dragon so please enjoy.

Many thanks to my proof reader Traluxbot101 he has, is and will be a great help.

Year: 21-02-1710 (Imperial Calendar)

Location: planet Warhammer, Dragon Peak mountain

Michiko POV.

Since the Naunsdeg ceremony about 4 months have passed. My life went on more or less like normal. The only big thing was the cross-referencing of the DNA I got from Thungni. When I first started I took some DNA of multiple dwarfs that did not have the ability of Rune inscription. I then compared the DNA between them and looked which DNA sequences were most common. I then used that list to remove a lot of the possible sequences, which helped a lot but I also had to be careful that I did not exclude the right sequence since some of them might have it to but the trait was never activated.

After I made the list of sequences a lot smaller, I started to compare between the DNA I got from Thungni and the DNA I got form Duregar. After comparing the list I found multiple sequences that matched. I then started to look at what those specific sequences do by themselves and also while working together. This part actually took the most time since this was very fine and precise work and I had to find new ways to test them out.

After I found the sequences that where needed I began trying to find out how the trait made a runesmith able to inscribe runes worked. I found out that the dwarven runesmiths were able to manipulate chaos energy but in a very different way as I do it. They can’t really use the chaos energy but they can guide it into something and then seal it in there in a way that creates a rune. That is also why “normal” magic/chaos energy users cannot use these techniques since they can’t bind like the runesmiths can.

After I found out how it worked I knew I had a problem since I had to combine the normal manipulation method and the manipulation method the runesmiths use. That means I had to develop an entirely new manipulation method so I can use both.

After a few weeks I found a way to do it, but to do it I have to change my body and my mind at the same time. This was needed since I have discovered that the mind influences the workings of the body and the body also influences the mind. Well mind, it would be more correct to say soul because in this world at they are very much the same. the soul resides in the mind and the mind is the soul, well it probably makes no sense to say it like that but that is how it feels like to me.

But this raised some questions because if the soul influences the body would that not mean if a person is reincarnated that person should at least be able to retain a part of his or her powers. But that does not seem to be the case. I also talked to Valaya about it and while she is not the dwarven god of death she did tell me that they also have no idea what happens to souls when people normally die. But they do make sure as well as they can the souls go where they normally go since they can’t stay in this world indefinitely. It would also be very dangerous for them since they can be used in dark magic or by demons, so Gazul has made it his duty to guide they souls of the dead to the next face of their journey.

I saw that thinking about this was futile since I could not find out no matter how hard I try. Because whether souls go to heaven, hell, nothingness, gets eaten, is reincarnated with it memory’s erased or just simply gets erased. I don’t know and I probably will not know until the day I die.

Well back to today. I have prepared and tested as much as I could and I am now very sure I can do it. I go out the karak’s gate and I fly to the top of the mountain where the dragon cave is to start the procedure. When I have laid down in the cave I start and at the same time I begin making small changes in my body and mind. Over the course of an hour I slowly make the changes to make sure nothing goes wrong.

When I am done I check if the changes worked the way I want them to. After about ten minutes I can’t find anything wrong so I test it out. I manipulate the chaos energy and I send it into one of my claw nails and I make a scratch on the ground. I look at it and see that it looks the same as a normal unempowered rune. For now I can inscribe the rune that would later be filled with chaos energy during the empowering proses.

I do not know how to empower a rune yet and I also do not know how to bind the chaos energy so it does not dissipate. I will need to ask Duregar to teach me how to do that. But first I need to make sure that the changes in my body and mind are stable and if there are no problems I have overlooked.

After a bit more testing I leave the cave and fly out to hunt something for the dinner tonight.

Year: 25-03-1710 (Imperial Calendar)

Location: planet Warhammer, Dragon Peak mountain

Michiko POV.

The past month I have mostly checked if there are no side effects in reaction to the changes I made in myself. I found some small things but nothing dangerous only some annoying things that I easily fixed.

Now after this month I decided it was time to ask Duregar to teach me basic runesmithing. Of course it would be really weird normally impossible even if a dragon that with certainty not one of Thungni’s decedents has the ability to inscribe runes. So I have to take this very carefully and create the illusion that it has something to do with my blessing even if it is the blessing of Valaya and not the blessing of Thungni.

I walk to Duregar’s home and smithy during the time when he normally takes his lunch break. I knock on the door and wait for an answer.

Duregar: “Come in”

Michiko: “Hello uncle Duregar”

Duregar: “Ah Michiko how are you doing?”

Michiko: “Good, I wanted to show you something I discovered and I was wondering what it can do”

Duregar: “Okay, but why come to me and not just ask Endar?”

Michiko: “Well I see you doing it a lot so I thought you might know more about it”

His eyebrow goes up and he says

Duregar: “Okay show me”

I take a stone in my left hand and then transform my right hand into a dragon claw. I guide the chaos energy into my claw and make a scratch in the stone. Duregar’s eyes go wide and he stands there for a few seconds, he then grabs the stone and runs to his desk. He puts the stone on top of it then rummages through the papers and other objects on his desk and after a while he takes out a loupe. He then starts to study the scratch intensively. I then walk to his desk, stand beside him and ask.

Michiko: “What is it uncle Duregar?”

Duregar sighs and then turns to me.

Duregar: “Michiko do you know what it was that you just did!”

Michiko: “Hmm?, I just copied what you do when you are writing on the weapons?”

I say as if I do not know what he means with a questioning look on my face.

Duregar: “(sigh) what you just did was a very basic rune inscription. which should be impossible for anyone but the descendants of Thungni and seeing you are not a dwarf that would be impossible”

Michiko: “Why is that only his descendants can use it and why can I use it then?”

Duregar sighs again and he thinks for a bit.

Duregar: “For the first question, well nobody knows that answer to that even the great ancestor Thungni himself did not know that. As for your second question, It could be that Thungni has found a way to bless someone and give that person that ability and that he gave it to you at the request of great ancestor Valaya or that he just decided to give it to you himself”

He puts his hand on his beard and strokes it while he thinks and after a while he speaks again.

Duregar: “Well one way or the other we better call Endar and Freda before we continue our conversation”

I then go to find Freda while Duregar gets Endar and we gather in Duregar’s smithy again. When we sit at the a table Endar starts the conversation.

Endar: “So what is it that you want to show me?”

Duregar: “Well look at this”

He puts a small metal plate in front of me

Duregar: “Michiko show them what you showed me”

I scratch it with my claw and make a very simple runic inscription.

Endar’s eyes go wide, he looks at me and then at Duregar.

Endar: “Is this?”

Duregar: “Yes it is runic inscription”

Endar: “But how is that possible?”

Duregar: “I don’t know maybe it has something to do with the blessing or maybe it has something to do with her being a variant dragon. I just don’t know”

Endar looks at Duregar and then starts to think. I am then hugged from behind by Freda.

Freda: “What does it matter first of all we should be happy. The ability to do rune inscription is something to be happy about and something to be celebrated”

Endar’s face then clears up and looks at me while smiling.

Endar: “That true”

He then pets my head before turning back to Duregar and bowing.

Endar: “Could you please teach Michiko the art of runesmithing, I know she is not a dwarf but..”

Duregar: “Get up Endar you are my friend you do not have to bow, plus I was planning to propose the same thing. While she is not a dwarf that does not matter at all, she has even been blessed by one of the ancestor gods so I have no right to complain and even if she was not I would still do it. we all know Michiko very well I don’t think that any dwarf here would complain.

Endar: “Thank you”

Duregar: “But first, Michiko do you want to be a runesmith? It is a hard path with both ups and downs. And it will be especially hard for you since even if you have the blessing of Valaya most runesmiths will probably not accept you”

Michiko: “Well if I become a runesmith I will help you a lot right and I want to help you all. Plus it seems interesting and fun to do”

Duregar nods and then takes out a box and puts it on the table and opens it with a very special key. He then takes out a golden scroll and holds it in front of me.

Duregar: “Michiko this scroll was one of my masters most treasured possessions and when he was killed by the advancing hordes of greenskins this and the other golden scrolls fell to me. he told me to flee with my family and to take the scrolls with me in the case of his death because even if he died his legacy would live on in these scrolls that are filled with his research and knowledge. Michiko you must know that I can only teach you the basics since before my masters death I only just reached the level of journeyman runesmith. while I can teach you the basics of runesmithing I cannot take you as an official apprentice. But I can give you a good basis to build on so that you have a better chance to get a real master”

Michiko: “Thank you I will make sure to be very careful with them”

I said while I took the scroll with both my hands.

Freda: “We are very grateful Duregar”

After the talk I wanted to immediately start reading in the scrolls but Endar and Freda wanted to have a small party and they invited Duregar and his family to so I went with them. Not that I dislike having a party, it is the complete opposite but I really wanted to take a look in those scrolls, well tomorrow I will have another chance

While we were preparing for the small party some of the other dwarves found out about my new ability and the party. And when we started the party already half the dwarves had gathered and they all brought some food of their own. Eventually everyone except the guards at the gate joint in, but the guards were not forgotten they rotated with each other to be able to join.

The dwarves in this karak really enjoy a party. But that does not mean they are lazy, it is opposite they work really hard in a harsh environment and that means that they just need to let off some steam every once in a while and a party/feast really helps. We have one at least once every month after the monthly goblin extermination. We then place tables together, we have a feast and after that a party.

Year: 26-03-1710 (Imperial Calendar)

Location: planet Warhammer, Dragon Peak mountain

Michiko POV.

Today is the day after the party. It is still quite early when I go outside but some of the dwarves are already up working. That is one of the advantages of a dwarf because even if they were drunk last evening they almost never have a hangover. I walk to Duregar’s smithy and I can already hear hammering. When I enter we greet each other.

Michiko: “Good morning uncle Duregar”

Duregar: “Good morning Michiko I was already expecting you and I put the scrolls in the other room so you can read them. Oh and you also need to have the key”

He takes the key from yesterday out of his pocket and throws it at me. I catch it, thank him and I then walk to the other room and close the door so I would not hear the hammering. I look around and I see a lot of boxes like the one of yesterday. They all have a basic description on them what is written on the scroll. I first take out one of the scroll that had the description “Old Khazalid runes part 1”.

Khazalid is the language the dwarves use when speaking to other dwarfs and some special people (me for instance), but the Khazalid that is now normally used is a simplified version. Old Khazalid or arcane dwarf is the original language of the dwarfs and is used for runic inscriptions. But Old Khazalid is a very complicated language and has many, many runes. It is probably best to compare it to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs but then with A LOT more glyphs/runes and with a complicated writing style.

If someone wants to learn arcane dwarf then you need to memorise the runes, the meaning of them and how to arrange them in a sentence or inscription. But luckily I am very good at memorization and deciphering texts. I then start to read the scrolls.

In the afternoon I am still reading and I am in the middle of the second scroll. But then I feel a hand on my shoulder and I jump up a bit. I then look around and see that Duregar is standing behind me.

Duregar: “Sorry for scaring you Michiko but you were so focused on reading and I wanted to ask you to come eat”

Michiko: “Oh of course thank you for telling me. I was so absorbed in reading that I forgot the time”

Duregar: “don’t worry about it, that is a good thing. But come on now let’s go eat”

We walk through the smithy and Duregar a door leading to his house. We go to the kitchen table where Duregar’s wife Olka, his son Thyk and his adopted daughter Vanyra. Duregar and Olga are both full beards (Olga has no beard, it is just a title) which means they are both above 70 years old but under 120, but they are probably just above 70 years old.

Thyk is 10 years old and Vanyra is 15 years old. Thyk is the son of Olka and Duregar Vanyra was adopted, she was the daughter of Duregar master and when he was killed they took her in. Thyk is training to become a warrior and Vanyra has inherited the ability of rune inscription from her father and she is training to become a runesmith. When we have free time I like playing, exploring and talking with them a lot. They treat me kind of like a little sister or well… like a cat when I am in dragon form (most of the time at least).

Olka: “Ah you are here, wash your hands and sit so we can start eating”

We wash our hand and sit down at the table and start to eat.

Vanyra: “So Michiko did you like reading my father’s scrolls, it was probably a bit boring right?”

Michiko: “it was very fun to read and learn all those new things”

I said with a smile and Duregar laughs

Duregar: “Michiko was so absorbed in reading that didn’t even noticed that I walked in to tell her to come eat. Vanyra is really differed in that aspect compared to you. Thinking back Vanyra was always so bored when she began leaning runes”

He said with a smile and Vanyra pouts

Michiko: “So what have two been doing today?”

Thyk: “I went out to train with the warriors this morning and in the afternoon I will have go and learn from the hunters”

He said while smiling

Vanyra: “I helped father in the smithy while you were reading and in the afternoon I will get to learn you how to do basic smithing”

We ate and talked some more and when we were done Duregar, Vanyra and I went back to the smithy and Duregar starts to show us some basic smithing. After he was done he wanted me to help Vanyra as assistant first so I could observes the process better while he makes sure nothing goes wrong.

Vanyra: “Michiko could you please get the heated iron ingot out the forge and put it on the anvil”

Michiko: “Okay”

I said with a smile since I am very interested in smithing and metalwork. I cover my arm in my scales and grab the metal directly out the forge. Vanyra and Duregar panic a when they see me do it but when I just put it on the anvil like I feel nothing they become silent and freeze a bit. As for the metal it is a bit warm to hold but I am a dragon and a special one at that I made sure to raise my resistance to heat and it is already quite high and the metal is at the place I am holding it only around 600 Celsius I am not going to get burned by that. Plus it is a normal flame and not a magical one, I have heard that magical fire does some strange things that could be bad. Anyway back to the frozen pair.

Michiko: “Is something wrong?”

I said while tilting my head a bit like I had no idea what was so strange. After a few seconds Vanyra begins to laugh and Duregar puts his hand on the front of his head.

Duregar: “As expected from a dragon that bathes in boiling water, you can just grab and hold a red hot metal ingot that would burn our hands away, like it is nothing”

After a while Vanyra stops laughing and with a smile while wiping some moisture away from her eye she asks me.

Vanyra: “Admit it, you just did that to try and give us a heart attack, didn’t you?!”

I made a very small smile and said

Michiko: “What do you mean Vanyra?”

She smiled and then we continued with our smithing. We did that for the rest of the day till I went back home to eat.

Over the next few days I mostly did the same reading the scrolls in the morning and learning smithing in the afternoon with Vanyra. She also showed me how to inscribe runes in one of the axes we made. But one of the days was special because Duregar let Vanyra do the empowering and binding of one of the runes she inscribed. After a very precise inspection of the rune by Duregar since if there are imperfections in the rune then there is a chance that the rune will explode under the empowering process.

While Vanyra with the help of Duregar was going to empower the temporary rune I was allowed to watch from a distance while they worked. When they started the empowering process I was amazed since I could see red light specs gather in a stream drawn towards the rune and being hammered in by Vanyra. It was really beautiful to see those streams of energy slowly flowing into the blade.

After 20 minutes the empowering was completed and she started the binding process. Which was very interesting to see and even more so for me since I could see the chaos energy being sealed into please by the complicated chants she was speaking to bind the energy into the rune. After the process was completed Duregar inspected the rune and he congratulated her since the rune was a success. I congratulated her while smiling and she looked very happy, she puffed up her chest, pus her arms in her sides and said:

Vanyra: “Big sis is impressive right?”

I happily agreed and she seemed very happy.

Year: 19-10-1711 (Imperial Calendar)(around five years after hatching)

Location: planet Warhammer, Dragon Peak mountain

Michiko POV.

Since I first started to learn runesmithing more or less a year and a half has past. As for how I look right now, in my dragon form I am more or less as tall as a horse but also longer. In my half dragon form I am around the size of a year old human and in my dwarven form I am a shorter but that is normal for a dwarf. My horns have been growing backwards and I think/hope they are growing more or less streamlined and are not going to curl and point forward, I don’t like that.

For what has happened the past one and a half year. I have advanced a lot with runesmithing and I have read all off the scrolls and I now understand a whole lot about rune inscription, empowerment and binding. As for the practical part, Duregar has me learn how to be a good blacksmith first and he will let me start on runes when I have the basics of blacksmithing down and I have memorised a large part of the golden scrolls. I’ve already memorized it, but I keep it quiet and pretend for now so Duregar doesn’t freak out when I would tell him about it.

I have or course also done a lot of other things. I have helped mine out the storage area since I felt kind of bad making them do all that work even if it will help them immensely in the long term. I spend time with Freda and Endar a lot too and when I was big enough I asked Freda to be the first person to fly in the air with me on my back. She agreed and she loved it, which made me very happy. Since that first flight I have flown with many dwarves. Which was quite strange seeing most of them like to live underground and they sometimes say that those who live on the surface are crazy.

Most of the dwarves loved flying with me but some of them quickly became airsick. One of them even puked on me mid-flight, that was not really pleasant I say as an understatement. When we landed and he got of I immediately ran to the boiling hot spring to clean myself. That dwarf later apologised but I won’t be letting him om my back anytime soon.

Of course it was also a lot of fun flying around with them and showing them the world from another perspective. Flying with someone on my back also helped for map making and now we know almost certainly where the goblin Crag is located. I also saved a life by flying because during one of the goblin exterminations we were fooled by the goblins because they had dressed up an entire group of very strong warrior and archers in the normal low level armour that is normally worn by the weak goblins. During that fight and after I did two things number one I will come back to in a bit but number two was that I flew a dwarf who was injured very baldly back to the karak to get him treated in the hospital.

As for the first thing, I was strafing over them while dropping rocks and freezing them with ice breath. About the ice breath, I discovered it a few months before fourth birthday. I was mining with some other dwarves and there was a lot of dust being kicked mining dust up being kicked up. I then had to sneeze which sounded quite cute and the other miners would have probably laughed if it was not for the fact that when I sneezed I first discovered my ice breath. I froze one of the mining picks being held by one of the dwarves to the wall centimetres from his hand. That was a bit of an awkward moment, but after the shock had worn off they started to laugh. I apologised and he said he did not mind. After that I left the mine so I could test out my new ability and make sure I would not freeze anyone to death with it.

After a few days of testing I more or less knew how my ice breath worked and what it could do. I found out that it came from a new organ that had been developing for a few years now. After I use my ice breath It slowly gathers blue light specs until it is full. But I could only use it five times in short blasts and it takes a lot of time to recharge. That was not very useful in a fight so I thought about how to improve it.

The solution I came up with was making an energy channel directly from my core to my new breath organ. This way I can directly feed chaos energy into the organ, which makes the charging time far lower and I have an additionally “tank” to store energy for breath attacks. Lastly I also tried experimenting with filling it with differed kinds of chaos energy and sort of overcharging it which makes the organ radiate an aura of what the light colour stands for (at least that is what I think) and the effect also depends on the amount of overcharge.

This is what the colour does when used in breath attacks and what it does when it radiates

White light specs:

In breath it is like a laser.

When used to radiate it gives off a glow and noble aura.

Yellow light specs:

In breath it has a strange effect on metal objects and can be used to change the metal depending on the amount of energy and how it is used.

When used to radiate it helps with thinking and studying it makes memorising and logical thought easier.

Green light specs:

In breath it has the same effect as acid but then in a kind of concentrated mist form.

When used to radiate it makes plants flourish and helps with healing.

Blue light specs:

In breath it is ice.

When used to radiate it can cool down the surroundings and can calm people down.

Grey light specs:

In a breath it messes with someone’s mind and it confuses them.

When used to radiate it creates a mist that confuses people but not to the degree of the breath attack.

Purple light specs:

In breath it creates a noxious gas.

When used to radiate it kills plants over time and makes people feel suspicious or scared depending on the situation.

Red light specs:

In breath it is fire it burns, melts or heats stuff

When used to radiate it can warm up the surroundings and can excite people or get adrenaline pumping.

Brown light specs:

In breath it well it makes people stronger and/or wilder for a time

When used to radiate it gives of a savage aura but is devoid of malice. People don’t really like it but animals seem to love it.

Refined chaos energy:

I have no idea what it does in breath or when used to radiate but I do know it does something that is sure.

These things can be very useful but also cost a whole lot of chaos energy. Secondly my ice attack seems to be the strongest it is probably because I am a white dragon which most of the time means ice dragon. Well that is what I have read in the books about dragons anyway.

Most of the time I now radiate using the green light specs. I just like that nature aura, when I am studying I use the yellow light specs and in a fight I use the bleu or red light specs to calm down the dwarves or to get their adrenaline pumping. Duregar and Vanyra also kind of force me to heat the metal with my dragon breath because:

Duregar: “the best weapons are made using the breath of a dragon, the magical properties of the flame strengthens the metal and make it more durable”

Which is true but is still feel like I am being used but Vanyra does give me sweets and also knows how to pet me and makes it feel very good, so I suppose it is alright….

Well back to today. Today we are going to start our trip to Karak Azul the nearest karak that is still held by dwarves. On the map you can see that Karak Azul is to the north of dragon peak mountain which is located near the sour sea. And is around 4 months travel away.

We will be going with about twenty people including Endar, Dern, Vanyra and me. we will be going to sell hides, some of the things we made and some metals (but not enough to draw a lot of attention of other dwarves). We are also going to buy some more light crystals and other things we need but cannot produce ourselves just yet. Lastly we will ty to get some other dwarves to join us in our new Karak preferably some who were in the same situation as the other dwarves, so more or less refugees who want to start anew.

Before we leave we all say our goodbyes and I give a long hug to Freda. She has to stay behind with the other dwarves to take care of the Karak while we are away. after some tears we all start our journey to Karak Azul.

Year: 30-01-1712 (Imperial Calendar)

Location: planet Warhammer, in the mountains heading for Karak Azul

Michiko POV.

We are around three quarters of the way to Karak Azul. On the way there it has been mostly peaceful and we were able to avoid monsters and greenskins because I was flying around spotting danger and telling them which path is safe and which is dangerous.

It is late in the afternoon and we are going to stop for the night like we always do. During the night we try to stay hidden and I sleep while the dwarves rotate the guard duty. We eat some food a combination of what we gathered around the area, what we took with us from our karak and some of the animals the hunters and i caught. When I am done I go to sleep on a pillow in my smallest dragon form.

Since we left our Karak we have managed to avoid any night time conflict and that is mostly because we are hidden so well and normally nobody find us. but tonight we were unlucky and a bit after midnight I am woken up by Endar.

Endar: “Michiko our camp is surrounded by goblins and a few orcs and they are preparing to do a sneak attack. but the night guard noticed them so we are going to surprise them. I want you to sneak out and freeze one or more orcs with you ice breath and after your first attack we attack to when they are confused and kill as many as we can in that time and after that it will be harder but we will win if it goes as planned”

I nod and sneak out the tent keeping low to get past the greenskins without being seen. After I run silently for about a hundred meters I transform to my bigger dragon form and quietly fly up into the sky. I fly up high and then start to glide toward the greenskins setting myself up to strafe over them with a breath attack. When I reach the greenskins I have charged up my breath attack and I release it.

Immediately after my attack I hear war cries coming from the dwarves who charge forward to attack the greenskins. I turn around and look at the situation. I see that my breath attack has frozen two of the five orcs and six of the goblins. Endar and the warrior have engaged with the greenskins while they are being covered by the hunters/archers led by Dern. I do another breath attack but the orcs and most of the goblins dodge some of them get hit. Unfortunately only a few frozen entirely with the rest hacking away at the ice but while they are doing this they are easy targets for the hunters.

I look around again and I see that Endar is together with some of the warriors engaging the orcs while the rest keep the goblins at bay. I prepare to do another strafe over the greenskins but when I come close one orc breaks through the dwarves and starts to charge toward Endar while he is fighting one of the other orcs.

The orc starts to raise his club to hit Endar who is blocking another orc. I see that Endar will not be able to react in time and I flap my wings faster to reach them in time. When I reach them I do not have the time to charge up my breath attack so I put my legs forward and I connect with the orc kicking him down the mountain side. But while I do this I lose my balance and I crash on the mountain slope sending me tumbling down the mountain side together with the orc.

After about ten seconds of rolling we reach a rocky valley. The orc and I both struggle to stand up. I look up at the orc and see he is bleeding from several cuts, and probably has a few broken ribs. Checking the condition of my body I can feel that some of the bones in my wing have been broken and I am also bleeding from some cuts but not very much seeing that my scales protected me from most of the sharp rocks.

The orc gets up first because he fell down the mountain side first and got a slight head start. He walks toward his club that fell down a few meters away from him. When I am up he already has his club and he starts to run toward me. I roll out of the path of the incoming club and dodge by a hair's breadth. After the roll I stand on my four legs and I glare with red eyes at the orc who also is looking at me. he looks fazed for a second before he charges at me again. I also begin to charge him and he swings down his club at me again. When the club gets close I jump forward using my back legs and I bite at his right arm.

I bite down at his arm and rip of a piece of flesh using my momentum. Landing on my legs and stopping myself on the rocky ground I turn around and look at the orc. He is holding the wound on his right arm with his left hand I swallow the piece of meat in my mouth and he picks up his club with his left hand. We look at each other and we both know that the next attack will probably be the last. He cannot afford to keep fighting with such wounds and he won’t fall for my trick again.

We charge at each other for one last time. When I get close I jump higher this time and I go for his neck. But he reacts faster than last time and at the same moment I bite down on his neck. His club swings down at my side sending me flying and ripping out a piece of his neck. I fall on the ground and spit out the piece of meat and a lot of my blood at the same time. While lying on the ground I look at my opponent and see him having his left hand on his neck. He stumbles for a bit and then falls on the rocky ground with a loud smack. I then close my eyes and lose consciousness.

Year: 19-02-1712 (Imperial Calendar)

Location: planet Warhammer, in the mountains heading for Karak Azul

Michiko POV.

When I wake up and open my eyes I see that it has become daytime. checking my body I can feel that most of the damage has been healed and that the bones in my wings are almost fully repaired. I look around me and see that I am covered in a blanket. some of the dwarves are sitting around on stones or are working. While I am looking around Vanyra sees that I am awake

Vanyra: “Hey everyone Michiko is awake!”

A lot of the dwarves stand up and gather around me with Endar with his arm in a sling, in front.

Endar: “Are you aright, Michiko? When we were fighting and you kicked down that orc we became worried and after the battle we found you here…”

I transform my vocal cords and interrupt him.

Michiko: “Don’t worry dad I’m okay, most of my wounds have already been healed. Please tell me first what happened after I kicked that orc and fell down”

I could see the dwarves calm down and after a few seconds Endar starts to speak.

Endar: “Well after you fell down we went on fighting with the greenskins and we first dealt with the orcs before focusing on the goblins. It was a hard fight and some of the dwarves have been heavily wounded but luckily we did not lose anyone. When the fight was over I instructed the medics to look after the wounded and some of the less inured warriors to come with me and we quickly descended from the mountain side to find you”

Vanyra: “Yeah he ran down the mountain without caring about his broken arm at all”

Vanyra said with a chuckle.

Michiko: “Thanks dad”

I said with a smile, well the equivalent of a dragon smiling at least.

Michiko: “So what are we going to do now? I can probably walk but I can’t fly for the next few days”

Endar: “Well we will be staying here for the next few days so we can properly treat everyone wounds, repair the wagons and of course give you time to heal”

I nodded and we talked some more. After the talk was over I noticed I was really hungry. So I stood up and walked to the corpse of the orc I killed and ate it, it tasted strangely good. I did look a bit like a horror scene but the dwarves just smiled and even asked me how it tasted. They are used to my eating habits, horrifying as it may look, but I do have to be careful to not eat like this in front of just anyone since eating like this is not exactly good manners.

Over the next few day we rested and I spent most of the time resting with the more heavily injured dwarves and radiating using green light specs to speed up their healing. I also ate some more orc meat from the orcs I had frozen in my first attack. That’s one of the advantages of ice breath, I can freeze food so it stays fresh, and use fire breath to heat it up later so I can eat it.

Anyways, after a few days we had repaired the wagons and most of the dwarves had recovered to the point that they could travel normally and those who could not where loaded into the wagons since we could not stay here for too long.

The final day I flew up in the air and the caravan started moving again continuing our journey toward Karak Azul.