The Iron Dragon

Chapter 8 First conversations

The silence that had settled over the moment was overwhelming. I had decided to remain silent so that the group had some time to let the present situation take its toll. The emotions on the faces of the group were clearly distinguishable, in some it was curiosity, admiration and, if one should have interpreted those of the Qunari, clear anticipation of something I could not imagine or did not want. In others I could read worry, anxiety and also caution. What surprised me, however, was that I couldn't see anything in any of the faces that pointed to any kind of disgust. The Inquisitor finally took the floor, after she had probably taken some time to collect herself and find the right words.

"You are human." A rather short statement, which sounded more like a question in her mouth, thus widening my smile a bit. Without further ado I decided to give her an equally meaningful answer.

"To a small extent, yes". Although a situation like this was anything but everyday life for me, I still had the feeling that her presence filled me with a calmness that I would not normally have felt. There was definitely something special about her and it wasn't just the mark on her hand, that much was clear to me. Her look met mine directly, as if she was trying to read more about me through this kind of eye contact. She was curious and I could feel in her how much she wanted to shower me with questions at that moment, but she remained cautious and tried to control herself as best she could, which seemed to be more than difficult for her. So I could see her as the elf who liked to make contacts and knew about every new face ... well that could be interesting.

"But you are also a dragon." Again a statement that sounded more like a question and fascinated me a little bit.

"For the most part, yes." After my words, another silence stretched through the woods. I could practically watch how the information buzzed through her thoughts, trying to make everything as understandable as possible. As if a light had dawned on her, she opened her mouth again to speak.

"You are a... ". She stopped without completing the sentence. There was uncertainty in her tone, as if she was worried about coming up with a theory that wasn't true. But there was something else behind her words that I only gradually seemed to understand. A little astonished, I raised an eyebrow. Did she not want to say anything wrong, because it could be unpleasant for me? Was she taking herself back for me just now? .

"A dragon's blood. I admit that I didn't expect anyone to remember that term, it's not exactly... "a common or popular topic of conversation. It really surprised me a little bit, she seemed to know what exactly she was looking at, but when I thought about it, this amazement was quite positive in me.

"I had thought that the bloodline of the Dragonbloods had ended a long time ago, that they had long been considered extinct". The warrior's words were harsh but true. My race had found it difficult not to be completely exterminated in the past centuries.

"And so we were, at least almost". In my long life I have never met anyone like me, I don't know if there are any at the moment, but I could imagine that if there are others like me, they live in the shadows and don't reveal themselves, which is quite understandable in our past. Yes, one could say that the past of my race could not be seen from a rosy side.

"And yet here you are and you don't seem to want to retreat again". This time the words came again from the Inquisitor, who had already laid down her weapons again and signaled to her group that there was nothing to worry about here. Her comrades-in-arms did the same and a few seconds later all the weapons they could have directed at me disappeared, which I could only welcome. I shrugged my shoulders only slightly at her words.

"I don't know any other dragon's blood and could only learn about my race from what I found in old ruins or read in old writings, and I never attached much importance to the rumors of persons unknown to me. I got along well with making my own experiences, what is yet to come, that will come. I can defend myself and I do it very well, so I see no need to hide forever, even though I admit that it is not often that I talk to someone. If there is someone who would like to get on my back, please, I am up for some fun". The Inquisitor put a slight smile on her lips, probably to indicate that she seemed to share my attitude on the subject.