Don’t Wake The Dragon!
Evolution Unlocked:
Warty Warrior: B
You have been acknowledged by Mater Toad as a warrior. Warty Warriors seek to protect people by taking on darkness and containing it in their warts, but be warned: he who fights with monsters should take care, lest he thereby become a monster.
New Class Skill Unlocked!
New Class Skill unlocked:
A Warrior’s Warts: B
Syphon energy from a foe, reducing their power, and store it in a wart to be used by you later. Be careful, as the warts do not only store energy; they can be tainted by the temperament of the one they came from.
You have reached Level 1 in Warty Warrior!
+3 Perception
+3 Agility
Elijah was left with questions. As usual, he needed time to process what he had just been through, and as usual, he wasn’t given it. Just as in life, Trials came at him hard and fast, never giving him time to rest.
At the very least, he felt more fit to face the challenges ahead.
The next place in which he found himself was dark, dark blue. It was another cavern of some sort, the only source of light, a glowing lichen that grew on the ceiling far, far above.
There was barely enough illumination to see anything, even with his enhanced Perception. All he could make out were shapes: the gothic-like arch of a space that was longer than it was wide, the spikes of stalactites far above, and the stalagmites sprouting up all around him.
The smell of something, simultaneously damp and salty, was driven into his nostrils by a wind that forced him backwards. It came howling down two identical tunnels, directly in front of him.
The openings were twice as tall as he was, and he would have to climb over a massive fissure in the rock if he hoped to find the source of that breeze. They looked like two squashed circles, horizontal ovals… that… moved?
As the wind changed direction and he nearly tumbled over forwards, the breath sucked out of his lungs, Elijah realised something: those weren’t tunnels; they were nostrils!
He was in a naturally formed chapel to the god of colossal monsters, staring directly into the teeth of the sleeping altar!
The Trial of Evolution 1: Dragon Mite
You have reached Lv 25 as a Dragon Mite! Welcome to The Trial of Evolution: Don’t wake the Dragon for two minutes and thirty seconds to prove your right to undergo the first Evolution. A better performance in this trial will lead to a more powerful Evolution with stronger monster Skills and Traits.
The fear that gripped his heart was impossible to avoid; this was a Dragon, after all. Even only being able to see the barest outline of the monster terrified him to his very core!
There was a presence that surrounded it, now that he knew what it was – one of insurmountable power.
Acknowledging his fear, however, was the first step in controlling it. Taking a long, slow breath, he sought to calm his racing hearts.
The inhalation of air, though silent compared to the Dragon’s own breath, was too loud.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
There was a rush of air. The glimpse of two great eyes flicking open. The flash of teeth. And then—
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
Nothing was ever easy. On the bright side, his death had been so quick that he hadn’t felt a thing. On the dark side, he had barely breathed, and that had been enough to wake the king of monsters.
Elijah respawned, this time careful not to inhale too loudly. For his next attempt, he chose to remain completely still. He should be fine, so long as he stayed silent.
A rock fell on the far side of the cavern. The Dragon awoke. Elijah was eaten. Again.
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
That wasn’t fair! He didn’t even do anything!
Unhappy with the injustice of the world, he tried again.
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
And Again!
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
AND AGAIN!!!
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
“Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? Insanity is doing the exact... same fucking thing... over and over again expecting... shit to change… That is crazy.” — Vaas Montenegro
That quote rattled around in the teen’s mind, and he decided to stop acting crazy.
At the exact same point in time every go-round, a rock would fall, the Dragon would wake, and—
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
What was he supposed to do, hide? He couldn’t move more than two steps without waking the beast.
If he were this impossibly stealthy Dragon Mite thing, perhaps he would have more options, but he wasn’t, and he didn’t.
That was when he remembered something: the skeletonised piano in his Inventory. That, combined with the thought of the Dragon in Gringotts, gave him an idea.
You have DIED
Potential rewards will suffer as a result of dying whilst undergoing the Trial.
The next time he came back to life, he withdrew his instrument. Summoning it directly onto the cave floor, it made no sound. With slow and careful movements, he was able to position himself such that he was sitting on a rock, ready to play.
He began softly, impossibly so, the melody simple and the harmony straightforward; it was a lullaby, designed to keep the creature asleep.
The wind that was the Dragon’s breath slowed and became deeper; it was working!
Just as the troublesome rock fell, he increased the volume, allowing the music to cover up the sound. The Dragon stirred slightly, but the teen didn’t falter in his performance, and the monster remained asleep.
The rock was the first of many distractions. Water started dripping, and he changed the tempo to match the sound. A creature, a rodent of some kind, began squeaking, and at one point an entire stalactite fell; he was forced to become louder both times to cover the sounds.
It was becoming too much, and the Dragon’s eyelids began to flutter as it teetered on the edge of wakefulness.
The noises stopped, and Elijah used the drop in sound to fall back down to a pianissimo, reducing the piece to the simple lullaby-like melody he had started with; no chords.
The Dragon began to snore.
The teen fell into himself as he focused on nothing but his playing and the feeling of calm and serenity he wanted to convey.
Before he knew it, the Trial was over. A translucent box appeared right as the final chord finished resonating.
·
Congratulations!
You have completed the Trial of Evolution 1: Dragon Mite
Grade: D
Objectives:
- Don’t wake the Dragon: ?
- Don’t be seen by the Dragon: ?
- Complete the Trial without the Dragon waking: ?
Rewards:
You have earned the right to Evolve from a Dragon Mite into 1 of 2 Dragon Mite Evolutions:
- Scale Scourer
- Dragon Toothpick
Choose Now!
patrons: