《Age of Exploration: A Dragon's Tale》Volume 1 Chapter 1: Lessons
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A slender elven woman with long thin ears extending horizontally, blue hair and amber eyes, flips a page on a picture book. She reads to a large group of sitting children of many different races and a small white and green dragon. Around them is a green grassy hill that they sit on. Behind the elven woman in the background is a massive tree that reaches the clouds.
"He then proceeded to take in the essences and teach them what he knew about the world. Together, the dragons and the essences who would eventually became the elder gods of the world, spread the magic of light, dark, life, death, heat, and cold, throughout the world."
Closing the book abruptly, she announces to the young crowd while giggling,
"The end."
This is followed by cries of disappointment as the children express their impatience for the next part.
"There's no way that's the end!"
"That's right, what about the Gods War and the Dragon Order!?"
"Ms. Noriko please don't end the stories here."
"Now now, good children are patient. I'll continue the next story tomorrow. Now it's time for Aldrich's lesson."
"Aldrich wait here I'll get my stuff from inside."
More groans of disappointment are heard before the mass of children start leaving. Some of the children stay behind and start talking to the small dragon. Noriko herself stands up and starts walking towards the gigantic tree.
"Aldrich!"
A high pitch female voice shouts out from the remaining children. The small dragon turns around and looks at the voice.
"What's up Leah?"
The voice appears from a young girl with silky straight bright red hair in a ponytail. She has a round pale face with large pink eyes. On top of her head is a white hairband that holds back her front hair.
"When is your mom going to come teach you yourself?"
Looking a bit annoyed, he responds,
"Soon Leah, she said that they'll come and teach soon."
"Really? Because I only see Ms. Noriko teaching you and I want to see your mom again."
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"You know she's out and busy."
"I know, but she promised to come teach you one day."
A few shouts and agreements are expressed by the mob of children listening in.
"Why is your mom always out anyways?"
A male voice speaks from the mob of children. A brown hair dwarf child with hazel eyes questions Aldrich.
"She's doing dragon guardian stuff."
"So like being in the embassy in the dragon roost and dealing with the villagers?"
"No she –"
"Or is she going out and clearing out the wandering beasts?"
"No listen she-"
"OR MAYBE FIGHTING THE UNDEAD THAT APPEARS FROM THE BORDERS!!!"
The dwarf excited waves his arms as he enacts swing motions, but is stopped when his head is grabbed by Aldrich.
"NO! She doesn't! My mother is a scout for the village. She watches over the village and the borders against the humans. Peter, I thought you knew this before?"
"I don’t remember that. That's considered dragon guardian stuff? That's so-"
Leah cuts in, slightly smothering Peter. From the growing irritated face that Aldrich was showing was all Leah needed to stop Peter from speaking anymore. Quickly changing the topic Leah asks,
"Hey everyone what are you going to do in the future?"
Chipping in is a black haired, red eyed human. He is a little older looking than the other children present here.
"Well before you ask us, shouldn't you say yours first little sister?"
"Hiram I didn't ask you all because I wanted go first."
"Well you should go first, but if you're too shy then I'll go then~~~."
Pouting, Leah stomps her feet.
"I AM NOT SHY! Fine then I'll go first. I want to fly."
Aldrich asks curiously,
"Fly? Why do you wan-"
"To win against the dragons of course! No one has ever beat a dragon at flying, but I'll be the first to do it."
"So-"
"And I want to beat you Aldrich."
"Beat me?"
"Yeah, you'll learn how to fly soon right?"
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"Maybe? I don't think Noriko has menti-"
"Not Ms. Noriko. Your mother."
"My mother? I don't think she also said anything about teaching me how to fly."
"Why not? All dragons get their flying lesson from their parents on their first birthday."
"Really? No one told me that."
"Not even Ms. Noriko?"
"Nope."
With the situation becoming dark Leah moves on.
"So what do you all want to do in the future? I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO CHICKEN OUT TOO so you all must share!"
Hiram, seeing how he should fairly treat his sister, responds first.
"I'll follow dad's path and become the next lord."
"Isn't that what dad wants you to do?"
"Yeah and I also want to do it so what's the problem?"
"Nothing I guess."
Peter chimes in excited,
"I want to be a hero!"
Aldrich responds,
"A hero? Why do you want to be a hero? More importantly how?"
"I don't know how yet, but I want to be a hero like my ancestor Chieftess Ingrid Stonesiegward, the savior, founder, and the first president of the dwarven republics."
Leah laughs and pokes fun at Peter,
"Wouldn't that mean that you have to be incredibly strong and smart?"
"And I am!"
Everyone laughs while Leah explains,
"Well you're strong, I'll give you that but you should study more if you want to be smart."
"I am smart!"
"Then what's 5 multiplied by 5?"
"Um...10?"
"No that's 5 plus 5. 5 multipled by 5 is 25."
"I knew that…. I was uh testing you."
A few laughs again while Leah responds,
"Sure Peter, now does anyone else want to go?"
A short humanoid with bee-like features, 4 black arms, and what looks to be a yellow fluffy jacket and 2 lightly yellow beautiful wings waves her three fingered black hand.
"I want to be a great magician like my mother."
"Do you mean like Queen Melissa Sun-Crested, Kyrie?"
"Yup, just like my mother."
"So like Hiram? Well that's fi-"
Kyrie interrupts her while shyly holding her arms,
"Well actually no. I want to be a great magician that research magic in the dragon capital."
Leah responds with glee
"So like my goal?"
"Yeah like yours. I don't want to be stuck in a hive forever like my mom."
A few of the other children also express their goals. Kyrie then asks Aldrich,
"What about your goal Aldrich?"
"I…..don't know yet."
"You don't know?"
"Not really."
"Well that's fine I guess."
A few embarrassed children give their grievances after hearing Leah.
"Wait you're just take what he says. No fair, I should have just said that I didn't know either."
"Yeah yeah, give us back our goals."
As they bicker, Noriko comes back to the group of children with her teaching supplies. As she approaches the excited children, she announces herself with a cough.
“I take it that you all are expecting something by staying here?"
Upon seeing the teacher, Leah and the others express a look of slight exasperation. Leah, taking charge, responds,
"Yes, we're still here Ms. Noriko. You know why we're here you know."
"Oh do I now?"
Taking a taunting tone Noriko makes a slight smile as she intends to annoy the children.
“By the way I'll only teach Aldrich."
"You always say that but you end up teaching us anyways."
A look of slight irritation appears from Noriko's face and she holds out her hand expectantly. Groans of grievances can be heard from the children as they start taking out pieces of valuables from their pockets. Some give small amounts of change while others give candy. After receiving a very reluctant payment from all of them, she looks at them satisfied.
"Well onto the first lesson of the day."
"You're such a cheapskate Ms. Noriko."
"Don't you feel guilty taking candy from children?!"
"I was going to buy some candy for my sister later."
Ignoring the first 2 comments, she responds to the last one,
"You and I both know that you're not going to buy candy for your sister, ANYWAYS onto lesson 1."
The grumbling children quiet down as Noriko and the children settles in for the lesson. The first topic that Noriko teaches is on magic and how magic works.
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