Author’s Note: Dumdumduuuuum. The last chapter of introduction, marking beginning of our hero’s adventures. Why do people want to get stronger? Because they want to protect something, or exact revenge for something they lost. I use this cliché one to push MC forward. Point out any mistakes and I hope you enjoy.

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Somewhere deep and dark:

There was a cave filled with magical objects. Swords, furniture, magical minerals and many others. Everything here was precious. And in center of those things, lied small, white, winged lizard. It was sleeping, sometimes frowning due to unpleasant dream. It slept there for an indefinite amount of time, but sometimes it woke up. It looked at the ceiling of its abode, as if seeing what was beyond it. Then, as always it went back to its slumber. But this time was different.

It opened its purple eyes, and yawned. After shaking its head to get rid of the remainder of dream, it looked at the ceiling. And then its eyes started to glow with interest. It stood up on its feet and flapped wings couple of times, and each time it flapped it seemed to grow bigger and bigger. After 10 flaps, its 100 hundred feet glory outshined the treasures below.

It started to chant, not opening its mouth, in an ancient language. After spell was finished, it disappeared along with the cave and its contents, as if it was never there. Loose earth started falling down, filling the place which was empty, and collapsing a small mountain in the outside world. But no one saw this strange and startling occurrence. No one was expecting the impending doom.

Rob’s POV:

Have you read tales of Bilbo Baggins before? Dragon’s arrival was very well described there. First the birds and all animals ran. Than the wind picked up. And then a silhouette appeared above a mountain peak. People who noticed it started screaming in terror, running around trying to save their lives. There was still no reason to do so, but just the sight of the mighty creature instilled horror in everyone’s hearts. The bell somewhere started ringing loudly, and lots of armed mercenaries as well as protectors started flooding streets. But what could they do to a Dragon?

I myself was working on a first mithril creation in my life, when I heard the commotion and bells. Lars shouted at me to leave what I was doing behind, and ran for my equipment. While running, I didn’t have to ask what was going on. Many people were screaming it out aloud. “DRAGON!!!” I was pale faced. I wasn’t thinking about my life ending here. I was worried sick about Cynthia. She had selfless character, so she must have went to help and oppose danger.

Rasgar, the Ancient’s POV:

I could see it. In the distance, there it was, among all those flies. It was bright, and reminded me of all those previous interesting beings I encountered in my years. They were small, but had powers defying their size. And all shared this trait. I could sense their aura, which was like a bright sun, so similar to my kin, yet different.

I wanted to know more about them. I wanted to fight with them. They were so much fun to fight with! Only sad thing was that they died too fast. But before they did, they shined so brightly!

But first, I needed to clear the disturbance. I could feel arrows and minor spells hitting my hide as I flew, and though it didn’t do me any harm, it WAS FUCKING IRRITATING! ARGGHH, THAT’S WHY I STAYED IN MY CAVE, THE NOISE, THE CONSTANT INTERRUPTIONS! DISSAPEAR, YOU WORMS!

Rob’s POV:

I managed to get my blade, I chose not to dress in my armor. Why you ask? Well I didn’t know whether this dragon could breathe fire or not, but just seeing his size, meant I needed mobility a lot more than armor which would only slow me down. As I was leaving the house I heard deafening roar. I was happy, thinking someone managed to deal some kind of wound to the creature. But as went outside, I saw inferno being unleashed. It could breathe fire. But not just any fire. The things struck by it turned to ash. Literally everything was disappearing in its wake. I dropped to my knees in despair and just watched what was happening, awaiting my death.

The dragon was drawing closer, obliterating everything around its path, slowly and methodically. Tears flowed on my eyes, as I thought about Cynthia and future I was already planning for us. But nothing mattered anymore. City was gone, she with it, and soon I would follow. Or so I thought.

I closed my eyes. I felt heat around me, and thought I was dying. After moment heat passed, it was still very hot but not as much as before. So what, I was in womb now? I tried opening my eyes, and was met with dragon’s eyes. I recoiled back, falling on blade strapped to my back. I looked around, and saw desolate field filled with ashes. Nothing stood beside my house. Evvrything was black, smell of burnt meat permeating in the air. I was the only person left alive. I started crying and screaming.

“WHY??!!! WHY GODS, WHY??!!! WHAT DID WE DO TO YOU??!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD, FUCK FUCK FUCK….”

I shouted and cried and jumped shaking my fists toward the sky. At first dragon observed me with interest, but after I started cursing him along the gods, he started to have dangerous look in his eyes. I stopped my behavior when cold bloodlust swept over me like wave. It pulled me out of depths of madness, and made me realize that I was still facing death. The dragon had its head on my height, and was in my reach. I had a crazy thought and acted upon it, after all I had nothing to lose. I strained my muscles, and in one motion ripped the blade from straps on my back and swung it at dragon’s eye.

Rasgar’s POV:

I cleared all the loud flies. I stood before the one that interested me. It was smallest I ever met, maybe a new kind of flies? But it mattered not. I observed its actions, wondering whether this was some ritual connected to his gods. But if so, why was it cursing them? Than it started cursing me, which wasn’t really to my liking. Ritual or not, I had to express my dissatisfaction, and I seemed to stop the small being from dancing around. I finally had chance to talk with it, when it went ahead, and attacked me. HA! Action before words?

I was glad to comply so I easily blocked his blow with my tail, but I miscalculated. This one was WEAK. Pathetically weak. Or it was hiding its strength, nonetheless, my tails swipe blew it away. I ran after it, expecting some kind of ruse, but was left disappointed. It laid there, somehow still holding its blade, but it was clearly expiring. Almost every bone in its body was broken, it could barely move its head and the hand holding blade. I hope for more. Well, back to sleep I guess. But before that, I never tasted this kind of fly before, so I picked the fly up and swallowed it.

Rob’s POV:

My world was filled with pain. But it wasn’t physical. My brain must have had something broken, because even though I knew I was messed up and dying, I felt nothing, except despair and anguish. And those were connected with the fact that I couldn’t even avenge Cynthia. I was nothing in eyes of the dragon.

I thought it would burn me or crush beneath its teeth and eat me. No. It took me with its claws and threw into its opened jaw, attempting to swallow me whole. But did it matter? Yes. Yes it did. The dragon was so conceited that it didn’t matter whether I still held my blade or not, it swallowing me was my last chance.

Only later on did I learn, that dragon’s anatomy was very different from what you would usually think. His organs were clustered together, and it felt taste by dissolving matter in its stomach. So munching food first was useless, unless the food posed danger to it. Because digestive tract of a dragon was situated conveniently near its heart among other organs at some point. And in the last ditch of effort, as I fell into its stomach, I managed to rise my hand with blade, and struck one final strike. It took everything I had, and after that, I fell unconscious.