You know my sense of time is already beyond screwed, but after the whole me breaking out my prison, now known as my egg, I have been finding myself slowly drifting in thoughts of madness.
After they put me in a metal cage, I feared that I would have to break through this prison as well. Lucky or well unlucky it didn't last as long, only 2 switches of the weird things mounted on the walls that held light.
From listening to the echoes which now are very clear, I have learned a lot. Like the things holding the light is a torch, and these echoes can get very fucking annoying. My hope of once learning what the echoes speak, soon turned into very disappointing noise.
I actually prefer when I was in my egg unable to move. Even though I have learned more of these "words" and their meanings, it feels more like a curse.
Either hearing those men's plans for me, some women talking about turning me into clothes or a backpack. Hell, even the occasional "war talk".
It seems to appear that I've hatched into a group of dragon hunters or some would call them mercenaries. Only reason why I say they are both is because they are currently getting paid to hunt and "eliminate" a foreign clan. That brings me to my current predicament.
I look towards the humans, gathered around what I now know to be a table with a map on it.
"We will begin the assault here" The man who showed to be the leader and also happened to be the one to put me in this cage spoke, his voice commanding the focus on the matter he explained.
"From there we outnumber them two to one, we will split up surrounding them and we will slowly begin to push in." He looked up, his words stopped, as if waiting for questions and suggestions.
A woman with long pitch black hair with blue eyes and brown skin spoke up. Her body was covered with a thick coat of what seemed to be scales, and judging from the way everyone, including the leader watched her, she seemed to be well respected.
"They can easily escape if they narrow their forces into one direction, that would equal a loss for us but limited loss for them. Instead we should try to push them into a place where they are cornered and victory will be the easiest and have the most limited amount of loss on our part." If I was here with a blank mind, I would say that she was the leader.
"Jai with your inventions we can set up a line of fire on where we will corner them, and Sezric you will command the soldiers to march coming from a direction, pushing in, they will naturally fall back to the one area where our troops aren't, their docks.
Once they reach their docks and they try to escape then Jai and some soldiers will use the mounted crossbows to piece the halls and begin firing with a goal of breaking or stopping the boats. From there they will be surrounded on water and land, with the chaos we will take victory." The woman finished her plan and I had to admit, it was a nice plan.
In the chaos of the battle, it is possible I can make my escape. I just need to gather more information then I can free myself once more. And this time for good.
But I truly need to get the perfect moment, I am a mere hatchling I probably couldn't even take down one of the soldiers.
"That is genius, no wonder why back home the queen has promised you a place in the war throne." The leader, Sezric, said with a smile, his scar rippled. "With this plan we can get this job done and continue our path with enough soldiers and money for six months. Jai, do you have any objections?" Sezric turns his head towards the skinny man who shakes his head.
"Hell no, Minerva has the best thing I can come up with, better than your plan Sezric" Jai laughs, his hand wrapped in bandages from where I bit him. And I didn't even bite him hard.
Sezric laughs before opening his jaw to speak.
"You talk a load of flames when you're still wearing a bandage from when little Greed bit you." Sezric and Minerva chuckle while Jai scowls.
"What are we even going to do with that little beast you named?" Minerva spoke as the attention shifted from their meeting to me. Now I would have loved this attention if it didn't feel like they were plotting how they would chop my head off.
"I'd say we fatten that little asshole up then skin it and sell its scales." Jai says and I feel my pit of anger light up again. I haven't even seen my whole body yet, and they are already preparing for my end.
"That is a simple plan but I say we use it as a trophy or a gift to the queen" Minerva spoke, her tone light yet the subject was dark. The more I heard these echoes from these humans, the more I grew to despise them.
"Let Greed grow, this is an ancient dragon, if we play our cards right we can make wealth more than the queen could lend us." Sezric spoke, even though he gave me my name and talked about me with it, he angers me more than any other human I know of currently. I feel like I am missing so many pieces of myself, and these humans are to blame. Let me grow Sezric, and watch how I eat you alive.
"Growl" I let out a light grow from my cage and Jai flitched a bit, quite the coward.
"I think he likes my plan the most." Sezric smirks.
I force my pit of anger to freeze for a second. I could use what is land in front of me instead of rolling around in anger. I know that they will be going into a battle, I could escape then but I know little of the outside world.
It is a short freedom but since I am a hatchling it will take too long for me to grow in power, that is something I do not want to risk.
But if I wait and follow Sezric's plan, I could grow, then I find a spot to escape. But I need to calm this anger first, I need to make it look like they won.
"HEY QUIT SCRATCHING THAT, IT TOOK A GOOD CHUCK TO MAKE THAT" Jai screams at me.
For a long term plan I need to act like a defeated beast, then I escape, with enough power to survive well. But there's another thing that is a benefit in this plan. I can learn more about what I am.
They say I am an ancient dragon, I want to know more about what I can do. And despite how much I hate this, they know more about me than myself. Maybe rotting away in a cage in return for more knowledge will be good.
But can I even survive that long? I need to but I can only hope I can hold out. On the other hand I don't know what he means by playing their cards right, will that end in my death or my survival.
I know too little right now, I can't risk making assumptions. If I flee during the battle then I will be easy pickings for anything, but if I stay I will be apart in an unknown plan.
I need to know more. But the only way I can gain information is waiting and hoping for it to come. I can't decide yet.
3 days, that is how long I will wait before coming to a conclusion. Just a bit more, I need to know what lies ahead.
The waiting game once more is the only good option.
"Sigh"
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-First day out of Three-
"Here you go you beast" A man in full armor tossed a fish into my cage, I barely had enough room to eat it. It was really good, the first thing that might actually be considered real food that I have been given in the time I've been here.
The bones were especially good and were enjoyable to chew on. While I chewed on this fish bone, I tried to look for anything that might show me my reflection, I wanted to see my face.
Was I small? Was I red? I doubt that since my lower body is a gray color. What was my face?
But with as much good that I get, the same amount of good turns bad.
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-Second day out of Three-
"In two days time we shall march onto the island and storm the villagers, following my plan to a letter." Minvera shouted, then a second later a lot of RA! sounded. I can only imagine what that was looking like.
-A few hours later-
I covered my body with my wings and laid down, it was a long day of nothing. The voices have quieted down, to sleep I assume but then again the occasional voices and footsteps I hear outside.
Maybe it's a few people patrolling to make sure that the ship is safe?
The footsteps stop right outside the door, it seems like the people there are taking a break. Wonder if I might get some entertainment here.
"You know after this raid our course is going to be heading towards one of the 12 Arch hunters?" A deep voice spoke. Confusingly beat me over the head as I arose from my sleeping position.
I placed my head on the edge of my cage and waited.
"Yeah apparently they are going to sell that beast that we won after killing the dragon." A lighter voice added. Great, I'm getting sold to somebody, but who though.
"This is about to be one hell of a pay raise, wonder if I can pick up a few women on the way with my new riches." The deep voice chuckled.
"The riches are gonna be the only good thing about you." The 2 voices chuckles.
"Um excuse me sirs" A really light voice said, it sounded like he just got to where they were chatting.
"Yeah rookie?" The deep voice answered. I leaned more into my cage, I just hope they won't be walking away any time soon.
"What are the Arch hunters? I haven't heard a term like that before." The light voice said.
"Right, you're the kid we picked up at a supply drop, Reshi yeah?" The medium voice asked.
"Um no sir, it's Reshal." The lightest voice answered.
"Okay Reshi, since you're new here I'll give you the brain drop." The deep voice answered and I could feel the nervousness from the lightest voice from here.
"The 12 Arch hunters are the 12 top hunters that each command a kingdom level threat, may it be in men or weapons. Hell there's even a few that have dragons. But think of it as 12 kings of dragon hunting.
Beside each having the power of a kingdom, they also possess immense wealth and intellect. They are gathered from one corner to the other corner of this flat world. They all hold a consoul every 3 years and I would personally say I would try not to get on their bad side.
Tell you what kid, after the raid, we can help you train a bit" The deep voice ended, I leaned back into my cage.
So I'm getting sold to basically a king that hunts dragons, suddenly the scales are very tilted. If I am hesitant in my ability to escape on a fleet that damn sure wasn't on the scale of one of the arch 12, getting sent to one would result in the end for me.
I know in 2 days they will begin the raid, so when I wake it would be time for me to decide on my opinions then the day after that will be the raid, the deadline on escaping before getting sold there.
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-Day Three out of Three, the final day-
When I woke up from my sleep. I thought about the events from the previous nights and I was almost certain that I would be escaping during the raid.
But unlucky for me or lucky, depending on how I look at this, there was no news. Not even a single speck of voices.
Hell they didn't even give me my fish and water. The next day will be my escape, I cannot risk getting sold to a kingdom level threat. I will be needing to conserve my energy but need to learn how to use these wings.
Save today's energy for tomorrow's problems.