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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the beginnings of a wonderful new story by Draxenath. It is entitled “Interview with the Dragon Goddess”.
Background music by Smartsound

Preface

For decades I have questioned the accuracy and veracity of written history. All my efforts have been directed towards consulting the different sources of information which could provide glimpses of the actual historical facts.

Written history tells us there is but a single god, Amaxis, who defeated the Great Demons that incited war among the different races. We are led to believe his victory over them, along with his laws, authority and the enslavement of the non-human races was necessary to unify us and finally live in relative peace. This established humankind as the Apex race, dominating all others.

I have not been the only one to question history. Some have said the Great Demons were actually the patron Gods of all other races. Those that honored them, if caught by authorities, were put to burn at the stake accused of heresy and demon worshiping.

Such remarks fueled my curiosity and led me to seek out their source. As I researched the folklore outside the great cities, my ears managed to catch more such rumors in whispers. I heard stories about Amaxis imprisoning the other gods and conquering their followers.

But the most interesting one was the legend of a Champion Goddess who embraced all the helpless races and freed them of their slavery, only to be betrayed later by those she trusted the most. She exiled herself and left the world for Amaxis to do whatever he pleased.

I have dedicated more than half of my life researching about this Goddess, seeking to contact her. There are contradicting pieces of lore about her, which made my curiosity grow even stronger. Finally, those pieces of lore gave me the means to contact her, and request her account of history.

I will be signing my work anonymously for obvious reasons.

First Impression

Finally came the day when I had everything necessary to talk to Draxenath, the legendary Mother of Dragons, and patron goddess of all scaly and feathered creatures alike. I will leave out the details of the ritual used to reach her, as gods dislike being addressed forcefully. She was very upset at first but agreed to let me enter into her hiding place.

I had prepared an offering for her ahead of time, which consisted of a cow of the highest quality, and a dish of pork meat marinated with a sauce made of tomato and garlic, resting over a bed of boiled, butter seasoned noodles sprinkled with grated aged cheese. According to the lore, those were the usual offerings to please her.

A jet black vortex formed in front of me. It was as if its darkness were eating the light around it. I gathered up my courage and went in, bringing the offerings with me.

Once on the other side, there was light coming from two massive cavern entrances in front of us, as if a bonfire burned inside them. Their walls were covered with gold, and their size was perfect for an ancient dragon to live in.

The cold air from the place was sucked into the caverns, and moments later it would be blown out, hot like the steam of an active volcano. That unusual phenomenon repeated periodically.

The cow was bewildered and tried to run away, but I pulled the bridle and stopped it. Then came to realize to my amazement, the reason for the cow to be afraid. Those were not caves, but the nostrils of an impossibly massive dragon.

Thick formations of rock-like rheum had sealed its eyes. Gigantic claws removed the rocks, revealing two sun-like orbs underneath. Their gaze was that of a starving lion looking at a trapped antelope. I felt cold, my blood going to my feet. I could hear the loud, drum-like thumping of the blood running through the veins of my ears. I thought my heart was going to explode.

My thoughts at the time were she allowed me to visit her not for an interview, but for supper. The dragon’s body started to glow and rapidly shrunk in size while morphing into a female humanoid shape. She was twice as tall as an adult human. Her body was covered with golden scales and had large patches of snow white, scale-less skin on her face, chest, abs, and navel. Numerous horns protruded from her skull in the fashion of a crown. Her scalp was adorned by a mane of long, straight, platinum blonde hair. Her eyes were the same reptilian golden orbs. A pair of golden feathered wings extended from her back. Fin-like barbs lined her long, slender tail.

Once the glow waned, spots of gangrene were easy to see all over her body. With the grace and speed of a cat, she grabbed the cow by the neck with one of her clawed hands and lifted it. The cow’s head was ripped from its body by a maw full of needle-like teeth. With her tail, she grabbed the cow by the rear legs, still holding the neck with a hand and drinking its blood as it squirted from the convulsing body.

The woman threw the carcass away after it ran out of blood, then turned her blood-covered face, her murderous cold gaze now directed at me. She slowly sat down in a kneeling position, with her buttocks resting on her heels, while extending both hands towards me, as if expecting me to give her something. The heat in my hands reminded me, I was carrying the dish made especially for her. I immediately handed it over.

The Goddess sat there in silence for a moment, smelling it. That is when I noticed, a dark aura emanated from an eerie, cleaver-like broadsword driven through her heart. Gangrene was most notorious around the sword wound. I dared not to ask anything. She tasted the pork.

– Is this human meat? – She asked with a gentle, whisper-like voice. – It is pork! – I answered. She savored it for a moment. – Humans and pigs taste the same. I love this taste, and the amount of garlic, butter and spices is well balanced. The cheese is of remarkable quality, too.

She continued eating in silence. After emptying the plate, she used her hands to wipe her face and licked them afterward, the same way a cat does. – It felt like an eternity since the last time I tasted this dish. What year is it?

– It is the year 1132 of the Age of Order. – I answered nervously. – What?! – she burst into outrage. – Did I waste a millennium waiting for this sword to kill me? I could have killed myself sooner by over-eating candy and bacon! Seriously, what’s wrong with this sword?!

With both hands, she pulled the broadsword out and proceeded to inspect it with the utmost care. Black blood ran out of the wound, which promptly closed as her bleeding turned to a more healthy red.

She shrugged, her eyebrows and forehead wrinkled with confusion. She sheathed the broadsword into a scabbard on her waist and looked back at me with a calm, bored expression. – I am still alive and got nothing better to do right now. What did you want to talk about?

That is when the interview started.

Echoes From the Caverns

Posted by Asclepius - Email Author
Visit The Caverns Website.
Please note: This is a SotA community run project, and any and all content may deviate from the fictional canon of the game.