From the Egg to the Stars (A Dragon Quest)

Once upon a time, there was a great forest. This forest was rare, small gods walked beneath its ancient branches, and fairies made their homes within its sheltered boughs.

And it was here, resting in a pile of leaves in the shadow of a waterfall, that a dragonling was brought into the world.

She was bright, kind and whilst possessed of a mischievous streak from being partially raised by fairies, wholly, truly good. Her mother, the goddess of the waterfall, named her Harmony, for she knew that Dragons are beings of power and destiny, and hoped to help her in her own small way beyond bringing her up in peace and joy.

But while she loved the forest, Harmony's feet itched. When it came time for her first flight, a moment she shared with her greatest friend and constant companion, a young fairy named Holly Brightwing, she found her restlessness growing.

Harmony longed to see the stars as others saw them, to see watch the horizon shift beneath the steady beats of her wings. To find the highest peaks and at the end of it all, she wished to return to the Goddess of the Waterfall, and tell her all that she'd seen. To describe to her the people she'd met, and the skies she had flown, and the wonders she would no doubt see.

When Harmony told her mother of this, she smiled. For while she was happy for her daughter, she wished that destiny would not drag at her so. It was selfish, she knew, but Harmony was dear to her, and she did not wish for her to go.

And so, she made Harmony promise thus: She was to return at the dawning of every fifth year, for seven days and nights, and tell the Goddess of the Waterfall of all that she'd seen. Ecstatic, Harmony agreed. Upon the dawning of the next year, she spread her vibrant green wings. With supplies secured at her flank, and Holly safely within a custom-made saddle, she took off to see the world.

The Goddess of the Waterfall and Holly's tribe of fairies, who had done their own part in raising the dragon, watched them leave. They waved and smiled, and no one mentioned the tears slowly running down the Goddess' cheeks, nor the flowers which bloomed where they fell.

For the Goddess could feel it in her heart… It would be a long time indeed before she saw her daughter again.

High above, Harmony stretched her wings wide to catch the air, her scales catching the light with a viridian gleam, and turned to the northwest, for that was where her heart called her. She had faith that, whatever she might find, it would most definitely be worth the trip.

[X] Gleep! Then climb on.

Far to the north and a little to the east, a tiny dragon with scales still the silver-grey of the newly hatched, lets out a short and happy cry as he climbs upon the hand of an elderly gnome, who marvels at something which he has never seen, even within his extreme span of years. A young girl, possessed of empathy and wisdom far beyond her years, watches with a smile as she see small tears of wonder and joy in the corners of her aging teacher's eyes.

You stand there, looking up into this strange old man's face, and see the wisdom of ages within him. You see the magic that gathers around his fingertips, and glimmers in the depths of his eyes. You can almost feel it through your scales as you sit comfortably in his upturned palms, staring at him impassively.

"My word…" He murmurs, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he smiles and brings you up closer to his face. "You really are wondrous, aren't you?" He gives a small laugh, kind, but betraying his age with its wheeziness. "And you have no idea just how amazing you are… Truly, Alaina, your new friend is absolutely incredible."

You reply to this in the only real way in which you know how: "Gleep!" You say, and Tannenbaum's smile turns into a full-on grin.

"I imagine you will become rather chatty as you grow, won't you?" the elderly magician says, and you gleep at him cheerfully once more. "Very good. Here…"

Tannenbaum gently hands you back to Alaina, who helps you back onto her shoulder as the old gnome bustles around his workshop. He ruffles through stacks of dusty scrolls and books, before finally finding what he seeks. Hefting a great tome over to his desk, you see a large image upon the cover: A dragon, with its wings spread in flight.

"This," Tannenbaum begins, gesturing to the book before heaving it open, "is a book of legends. Both great and small. It has been in my possession for many years now, and according to my father, peaceful may his rest be, contains many more truths than it does lies. In all honesty, I had forgotten about it, I think that last time I cracked it open was… Oh, when the young lady… Hmmm… Ah yes! The young lady Katterin begged me to tell her a story when she was a child." For a moment, you see Tannenbaum's eyes gloss over, reliving the past in an instant.

Looking at the book, you think you can see magic woven into its aged pages. Like a lot of the rest of the magic within this room, however, you can't quite tell what it is. It's simply too complex for you to make sense of.

"My father told me that if this book could show it to you, you would always find the tale you were looking for within its pages." Tannenbaum states as he hands the grand old tome to Laurel, who hefts the book once, before tucking it comfortably beneath her arm. "You are welcome to its tales, but please take care of it. From what my father told me before he passed, it's older than even my grandfather. Such tales should be kept alive, I think. So I would be happy for you two to take custody of such a thing." As Alaina opens her mouth, probably to object. "I insist, child. Consider it a thank you for showing an old man something truly and wonderfully new to him. Now, my experiments cannot be left idle for too long, and they can be quite dangerous if left unattended. If you please?"

Gesturing to the door, Magister Tannenbaum gives you both one last, bright eyed smile as you go. The door closes with a heavy thump, and once more you're off on your way through the castle, to a new destination.

Looking out of a nearby window, you realise that it is now early afternoon. It seems that wandering around the castle and meeting people is a surprisingly time-intensive activity. As you make your way down to the kitchens, Laurel and Alaina chat about where they'd like to take you next. Laurel suggests taking the book to the library in order to read in comfort, but Alaina seems to be fed up with being inside for the moment. She wants to read the book with you in one of the castle garden pavilions.

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Where do you end up going?

[] The Library
[] The Gardens
[] Somewhere Else (Write-in)

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Many thanks to @Snowfire for betaing both this and the previous post. I wrote it at 5am and parts of it seemed to be the scribblings of a madwoman, so the fact that there's something both coherent and fun to read here is largely due to his efforts.

Hopefully, update speeds should increase soonish, because I'm super close to finishing my Thesis now, and the job-hunt is going well. I might disappear for a bit while I get my shit in order when it comes time to move to wherever I live next, but hopefully I won't be gone long.