An Imperial's Meeting

The shadowed lands were a place of mystery, and darkness, of course! the winds howled, and it was hard to believe the silent beauty of this place was on a continent mostly covered in snow. The weather was chilly though, much more different from where they had just been.

Mizumi shivers lightly as she puts down a map, pulling the makeshift jacket she had made for her form, tighter.

"Who would have thought, the Shadowed Lands were this cold." She sighs. "I should have figured by the pine trees."

Sitting down on her haunches she folded the map back up and placed it back into her jacket, as she looked about, She completely dodged Arbor Hallow, her own gift of flight had earned her that, it was possibly a mistake that she shouldn't have made. There was definitely an omnious feeling here in this place. There was sunlight, but there wasn't? The dragon looked up at the sky, able to see the sun above the mists that blanketed these lands. Normally she'd have to squint but this time, she didn't need to. Slowly she drifted her gaze back down to the ground and closed her eyes, recalling her mission to document the place the best she could, she had to look for the famous life-fonts Maelstrom was known for.

"Life-fonts, right...I need to find them here, that's what the instructor said." She nodded to herself, and slowly rose to all threes, and began to wobble her way onwards. At this point she was used to walking on three legs, Her injury happened so long ago. This however would bring the interest of certian creatures that were hiding in the region.

As the sun started to set, the area got darker, and Mizumi started to lose her focus, as her eyes were not accustomed to the pitch blackness of this place. She likely had to find a place to rest, and as she wobbled further inland, the fog did get thicker, confirming that she indeed should camp for the night. So, she would have to find shelter, a cave, or something. However there were no caves anywhere near her. The Mysts were much further northwest. So a tree had to make do.

Mizumi had wandered a bit further in search of this tree, and when she finally found one, she sat down to catch her breath. Bringing her foreclaw forth ,she made a motion with her claws and a flame flickered to life. A light source, and eventual heat source. She used it to both gather logs and sticks in the area, and then to light bonfire for her to curl around. the dragon always had a way of sitting as her tail wrapped around her hind legs and she used it as a support to sit like a human. The place was really off setting as she looked to and fro from the darkness. There were eyes on her, and she knew it. The fur on her mane stood up on edge as she slowly moved to get a better view of the area.

"If you are hunters....You will be sorely outmatched!" She warned, her draconic accent giving off a commanding presence. She had developed her traditional accent over time.

"Don't mistake my missing leg as a weakness!" She then growled. "I can assure you im just as or even deadlier than my kin...." Her eyes again scanned the area. She remembered back when she first started to travel, Dragon hunters stalked her, and considered her a target due to her missing leg. Mizumi did not want a repeat of this

"If you come out I will not attack...we can talk like human-beings!" ironic she said this, as she slwoly started to shift toquadruped stance, she paused, to see a cloaked figure slowly approaching.

The dragoness let off a hiss to ensure she meant business, but also to keep her word.

"No....harm..." came a voice. "No...harm!"

Mizumi tilted her head. What?

"B-blessings! In flesh!"

"W..what do you mean, who are you!"

"..a-are you sssslave to?...wasss?"

That was when things hit her, as the small kobold-like creature unhooded himself, he was too, missing an arm, however this looked like it was the design of self-mutilation. Mzumi felt its aura and didn't know what to think, dread and disgust filled her stomach, and she immediatly looked to her leg stump hidden in the vest she wore.

"....Im not a slave...Just a survivor...yo-"

"Want to sssurvive....Great wyrms....gurdians! Help Zero, yessss?"

"...Help? what?...Zero?"

"Zero....issss what thisss one isss called....Ssspeak iss hard...."

Mizumi couldn't help to get closer, the smaller thing cowered lightly, but she did note the markings, a tatoo, and a brand on his forehead.

"By the gods..what happened to you?"

"Zero....isss free..yess?" A pair of golden eyes looked up pleadinginly.

"I..Uh..I.." Mizumi sat back a foreclaw raising to rub her mane. "...Your injured."

"Zero isss..free!" He motioned to the arm. "No more...paaain, Want free."

"You...you cut off your own arm?"

"Like Great wyrrm Yessss!"

Mizumi blinked and brought her foreclaw over what was left of her missing leg. "I didn't cut my own off....I was never a slave, I had to have it removed or I would have died."

"Wyrm isss free..then!" A stupid and simple smile came across the creature maw. "We sssame! "

"W..we are not, little guy." Mizumi looked down at them with a frown.

"Zero wishes to....get off thisss land. Will help wyrm! Will help! If help Zero free!"

Oh dear, Mizumi's form visibly shrunk. She was here for Mage guild duty, and now this strange poor creature was claiming she was a guardian. Did their kind worship dragons? If so, they had to be benevolent. A chill ran down the Imperial dragon's spine and slowly approached, nearly dragging herself on the ground, to keep level with the small creature. She looked less dangerous this way right?

"Why... did you come to me...a stranger...wishing for this?"

"...Wyrm hasss one arm...like Zero... Free ssslave, ssslave of death, Zero....hasss nothing elssse."

"How able are you?"

Zero looked up and tilted his head.

"Are you able t ocarry things...build fires...and tents?"

"...Sssurvival! Zero hasss built thignsss! Will build htingsss without fear! For Wyrm! SSssavior of Zero!" Wit hthat the Small dramath fell to his knees and bowed in a genuflect. This disturbed Mizumi, but she figured by the markings, he was a cult member that was recruited unwillingly.

"I need to travel these lands, Zero, Are you sure?"

"Zero knowsss landss! Home...Will help, for favor! Zero wishes thisss, will protect Guardian!"

Mizumi closed her eyes and stood up sitting on her haunches again, the Dramath still has yet to rise. She was this poor creature's god or guardian now. It had to be kobold. "y..you don't need to bow to me..I..am no god."

"Wyrmssss guardianss...godsss! Imagesss! Zero will faithfull ssserve Wyrm!"

"I.. Know..but-"

"Your ssssoul isss pure! Helpful...heart...iss right place!"

"I...how?"

"Zero sssenses good...Not cut down Zero! Zero alive...ssspeaking to Wyrm! Blesssing to Zero."

Mizumi figured this wasa form of divination the dramath had, she said nothing, but slwoly bringing a claw forth and gently goign to life Zero's ehad to look at her. Her eyes were gentle as his was full of tears, they were tears of fear and joy.

"Okay...I'll get you out of here, if you are okay with traveling with me. Whoever did this to you, will not harm you again...I..I can';t beleive they tortured you to a point where you'd...." she looked at his mess of a scar where his arm was taken off. "...Where you'd go that far to be free. You need not bow ot me..please, Im far from a god...and it..disturbs me."

Zero obeyed as he stood up after Mizumi removed her claw. "Zero will help...In debt." He smiles, again with that stupid simplicity. Mizumi thought it as both cute, and sad it was. These creatures were still on their way of being awakened, but their intelligence was taken advantage of.

"Alright..good, pelase..rest...I ..don't want you to die of infection. We need to take care of that first...Rest and I will." Mizumi nodded. She would have to shift down to a bipedal form to do so, and she of course would wait untill Zero settled in. She had a companion now, and someone who needed help. Her grandma always told her she hada good heart, and not that of a monster. She would see to taking care of this poor thing and continuing her training. She was not alone anymore, atleast.