Cyber

Voice of the Dragons

We collected our rewards from the local villages, taking out a few more small bandit clans along the way. I had been afraid that exposing how powerful I was would make Galex and Scalina slack off, but instead they fought harder, and before we had left the Red Hills they had both reached level 4.

Scalina was shaping up to be a very powerful rouge mage assassin, while Galex was becoming an impressive Viking style adventurer. It wouldn't be long before I sent them on their way.

I had already received word of guilds beginning to form, and I already knew who would be leading them.

As we left the Red Hills, making our way to the ice fields in the far north, I heard Galex ask the question I had been dreading.

"Beta, why don't you use that halfling power more often?"

I had been trying to think of the best way to respond ever since I had defeated Surt. I knew the question would come but I had no clue how to really explain it.

"Well, normally I use it pretty much all the time, except when I am in town or sleeping, the wings tend to get in the way." I paused as I remembered how little time this would have taken for me to fly, instead of the days it would take to walk. "But lately, being around you and having so many new players, I have avoided it."

Scalina sounded confused. "Why?"

"Because I feared being shunned for it, or causing people to seek out power too soon, or to be jealous and try to find a way to take it from me. You two have been cool about it, but I can't say other people would be."

Galex and Scalina both nodded their understanding. After all, the kind of power to solo a god level target was something almost anyone would chase.

We camped in the open at night, having a set watch so we wouldn't be snuck up on. Aside from just being smart, it would increase detection skills. After three days and nights of walking towards the infamous ice fields, we reached the edge.

I stopped and turned to face my friends, "what is it that you think we are here to do?"

Galex looked a little confused but responded, "slay a dragon of course." Scalina nodded her agreement.

I shook my head, "maybe we will, but its unlikely. In Cyber, there are three classes of dragons. Wild dragons, no more than beasts that can be tamed and made pets, or hunted for sport, or slain out of fear. Warring dragons, evil beasts, greedy, always searching for gold and silver and gems, always looking to show their power and destroy whatever they can. And Elder dragons, wise, old, beyond powerful dragons, with a thirst for knowledge and peace above all else, and helpful allies in times of need." Scalina and Galex both nodded in understanding. "If this is a wild dragon, then we will either tame it, or failing that, slay it. If its a warring dragon, then we will slay it and take its treasures. If its an elder dragon, then we seek its wisdom and alliance." Again they nodded. "Further, should we have to fight this dragon, there are nine types of dragon; fire, ice, water, earth, wind, light, dark, sun, and moon. Most dragons you will meet fall under fire, ice, earth, or wind. Water dragons are the rarest, only one exists as far as I know, and there are three of each remaining type, one for each class. Whenever one is slain or tamed as a pet, another is born to replace it. This means we have a constant number of potential dragon adversaries at any time." Now I was starting to bore my companions with information they didn't need. "So without further ado, let's go find a dragon!"

The ice fields were harsh. Seemingly endless slabs of ice covered in at best a light snow. Occasional sleet would fall pound down on us, stinging any exposed skin. Random jagged spires of stone and ice dotted the landscape, like fangs in a giant mouth. Little trickles of water made the ice slick and caused more than one embarrassing fall. Thin layers of ice covered deep pits, making each step treacherous. It was one of the most hostile environments in Cyber, and by default also one of the safest. Almost nothing could survive there save dragons and certain god level figures, and so aside from the environment itself, there was little to fear.