When Darwion woke up from his deep slumber, it was not to the expected smell of warm meat, but to the grating screeches of goblin speech. That meant the slime covered stains wanted something from him.
He eyed the creature that had the gall to wake him without an offering. It was barking something, but Darwion didn't bother to listen yet. Instead, he took hold of the air in his throat, and using magic, shaped it to resemble the green thing's primitive tongue.
"Bring food, or be food."
He really shouldn't have bothered. Goblin-prepared meat was barely more appetising than goblins themselves. But he was feeling generous today, and let his servants correct their mistake.
Another goblin screeched something, but again, Darwion didn't bother to listen. He could understand the language itself perfectly, his father insisted that all his children learned the 'tongue' of their servants.
Sometimes, Darwion wasn't sure why. Goblins were only good as an easy source of food, either through tribute or just by eating them directly. Oh, and they made for a passable warning system, should a fiend or kikimora queen try to take his lair. Both of those purposes didn't require communication beyond snapping one's jaw at them from time to time.
Barring that, they were useless. They produced nothing of worth, and watching them stab each other in the arena or throwing them against a wall to see how they splattered got boring after a while.
Still, after his father and two siblings died, it was Darwion's 'privilege' to become the lord of the green gaggle. And having servants, however squalid, was preferable to living alone in the forest like an animal. That, he could leave to Vaira.
And, if he was being entirely honest, sometimes goblins could be fun. Waking up to see some schmuck try to stab him in a vain attempt to kill him, and seeing his terrified face as he failed, provided both a snack and entertainment.
Some cretin, dressed in rags that to goblins must have seemed fancy, was grunting something. That would be his regent, whose only real job was to wake him up, should his servants try to run while he was sleeping. In return, he could pretend to lead the goblins while he was not awake.
What was his name again? "Wretch, state your name."
"Skarrrbek, Masterrr-Majesty! And I ha-"
"Did I give permission for you to speak more, pathetic creature?! I said, bring me meat! Or are you volunteering to be my meal?!" Darwion replied with a snarl. Thankfully for the green reprobate, his servants arrived with the requested meat.
"Now leave me to eat. Return only when I'm done."
---
"Red Eye is gone?! Why wasn't I informed sooner?!"
"Masterrr-Majesty, we trrried-"
"No excuses!"
If that nonce knew to bring tribute immediately upon waking him, Darwion could hear out his screeching while he ate. But because of this green moron's sheer incompetence, time already was lost.
At least the news was good.
"Your lord is feeling charitable, louse. As such, I merely order you to extend your arm."
The goblin winced and clenched his teeth, but did as he was told. The arm was promptly shattered with a single swipe of the dragon's tail.
Ignoring the screechings of pain, Darwion turned the goblin in somewhat less fanciful rags. "How long have you known?"
"Today, Masterrr-Majesty!" His servant squealed.
"Then, wretch, are you sure Red Eye is gone?"
"Surrre, Masterrr-Majesty! Checked twice! Balorrr's beast gone! Balorrr no longerrr angrrry!"
Of course, the green pests got into their heads that that damnable fiend was their god's pet or something. But considering he managed to kill two of his siblings and his father, Darwion could understand how such an idea could take roots in the tiny brains of the primitives.
It started when his biggest sister came of age. She chose to take control of the kobold village to the south, and promptly vanished without a trace.
So his big brother went to look for her, taking a force of goblins with him. If what remained of said force was to be believed, a giant fiend snuck up on them and snapped the dragon's neck.
Father was enraged, whipping most of the goblin tribe to look for the beast. When it was found, he planned to kill it as slowly as he could. The survivors that returned said that the beast, quote, 'Unleash Fomorrrian mists! Blind Masterrr! Kill Masterrr!'.
Darwion, learning from the mistakes of his lessers, chose to wait until the beast died from old age or disease. As much as kobolds were attractive as servants, they weren't worth fighting that monster.
But now, with Red Eye gone, he could finally rid himself of the slimy green horde, in favor of servants of actual worth. Kobolds showed proper respect to dragons, and were craftsmen actually capable of creating something pleasant to the eye. He will finally be able to become a true Lord and escape this squalor.
His jubilation was soured with the wretched regent finally stopped squealing, only to speak. "Wait, Masterrr-Majesty! No body! Nowhere!"
What was this creature getting at? "But his cave is empty?
"Yes, Materrr! No smell! No musk! No piss! Two weeks!"
"And what would be strong enough to not only kill him, but also drag the body? I doubt my sister grew a spine. The stupid animal probably changed territory."
"Caution still, Masterrr-Majesty! Rrred Eye sneaky! Balorrr-Morrr! Beast of Giants!"
The green stain could be right. Not about Red Eye being a beast of an angry god, obviously. After all, Darwion wasn't prone to believe in superstitions of lesser beings. But the monster was exceptionally strong and cunning, so being cautious could prove prudent. He waited years, he could wait a little more. And his useless sister could finally do something of worth.
"Prepare an envoy to march with me, wretch. We will be leaving for Vaira's nest."
---
Vaira wondered why she let herself get roped into this mess.
Well, not really into this mess specifically, that was obvious. Darwion was bigger and stronger. So, when he caught her sleeping, and with teeth barred demanded that she look whether Red Eye was really gone, she didn't have much of a choice.
No, it was a question regarding why she was even around to be found, and why she humored Darwion instead of just flying away and not returning.
It all came down to her father and siblings, as they never really got the sendoff they deserved. So she resolved to wait until their killer died, and honor the passing of her family by arranging Red Eye's bones into a grave.
That and, her rarely speaking vengeful side added, she didn't want to leave without teaching Darwion a lesson in humility. As a dragon female, she grew slower, but to bigger sizes. In another ten years, it will be Darwion who cowered in the shadow of his sibling.
But that was for the future. For now, Darwion was fourteen meters long to Vaira's twelve, and more massive. That meant she had to at least pretend to do his bidding.
She still refused to risk her life for her brother's whims. So, instead of roaming through Red Eye's territory and making herself a target, she opted to ask the kobolds living in the village within the fiend's territory. And should nothing turn up, she'll just leave into the parts unknown.
The village itself was hard to find. It laid quite some distance from the territory first claimed by Vaira's father to raise his young, and was discovered only when she was twelve. Which explained why her father settled for goblins, and why he didn't change places at that point. He was saving the settlement for one of his children.
But after some time, Vaira finally spotted the village. In the middle of a forest clearing laid a collection of hills, protected by fortifications. A moat, filled with water gotten from damming a small forest creek, followed by a hillfort and stockades.
Something was off. In one place, stockades were being replaced by stone walls. To do such work was to put a lot of villagers in danger, since the noise the work created would attract Red Eye. The massive fiend would have no problem barreling through the village's existing defenses, so unless the kobolds felt particularly brave or foolish, that meant the beast in question really was dead.
Vaira still wanted to investigate, if only for curiosity's sake.
As she descended, to the panic of the surface dwelling population of the village, she noticed something in the middle of the village. An altar made of bones and stone, adorned with a fiend's skull. A carving upon the altar's largest stone depicted a dragon slaying a fiend. That had to be Red Eye.
So, some other dragon beat Darwion to the punch, and by actually slaying the beast to boot. While Vaira was happy about that, it also meant a new, powerful neighbor, however distant.
And she just landed in the middle of their territory...
A noise was heard from one of the burrows, one with a substantially bigger entrance than the rest. Something was moving inside it, and Vaira braced herself for the beast within.
As she saw who emerged, her first thought, more dragon instinct than anything else, screamed "Shiny!". Promptly followed by "She looks so cute!".
And the village's draconic resident was cute. A girl, judging by the lack of crest. Between her somewhat oversized head, big, baby-blue eyes, tiny, adorable horns and small, soft, almost fishlike scales of a rapidly growing child, she looked like a perfect example of draconic adorableness.
She was also very big for a child, at least if going by green dragon standards. At eight meters, two-thirds Vaira's length, she nevertheless couldn't be more than five years old, judging by the visible features.
That size, coupled with a lean figure, completely unlike the chubby body Vaira had at her age, and her silver coloration made the whelp look otherworldly and somewhat eerie. "Like a dragon fairy." Vaira thought.
And fairy was an apt comparison. After all, that's what silver dragons were supposed to be. Nothing but a cautionary tale to young parents about the dangers of not paying attention to the nest. And yet here Vaira stood, a proof of their existence before her.
But why was she here? Did one of the silver dragons mistake a kobold burrow for a dragon's nest? Regardless whether her being here was intentional or not, kobolds obviously didn't know how to take care of a young dragon. While she was generally clean, the matted scales spoke of poor grooming.
She began to approach the girl in greetings, only to be stopped by her withering glare. Hers were not the eyes of a child, filled with wonder. They were cold, merciless, looking directly into Vaira's soul. The eyes of an experienced predator sizing up their prey.
"But why- oh…" Vaira, in her excitement about meeting an unusual dragon child, forgot that somebody did kill Red Eye after all.
Vaira simmered in fury. The kobolds must have weaponized this poor girl in order to rid themselves of Red Eye! A child this young shouldn't have to fight for herself, much less others! She should be raised in a loving family and play with her siblings!
"No matter what, the kobolds will pay for this." Vaira thought "I'll make sure of it".
Elder Obok's lecture on the creation of the artifacts was interrupted, when Hik bust into my burrow. Just as I got into the part about the properties of theumuric iron too. A metal which, refined through processes lost to the village, was able to conduct raw mana. The versatility of such a material was staggering, as it could serve as a medium between a mage and any magical mechanism.
It's uses in computation orbs alone would be staggering. No longer just a glorified calculator, it would be able to create whole spells for a mage, as long as they were properly programmed. No math familiarity required.
But I digress. Hik wouldn't disturb me if it wasn't important. "What is the matter Hik? I am in the middle of something truly educating."
"A *phew* dragon! Landed *phew* in the village!"
"Damn you, Being X! You couldn't leave me alone for two weeks? Of course not, you had to send a dragon after me!"
Bitter thoughts aside, I had to confront this dragon, if only because I couldn't fly away from under the ground. And even if I did fly away, my flying was so pathetic I would be caught in no time.
"Hik, elder Obok, follow me. Let's see what our visitor wants."
---
Whatever the dragon wanted, it wasn't anything good. The moment I looked her in the eyes, she got visibly angry. I didn't know what that meant. Did it mean she expected submission, and locking eyes with her broke those expectations?
In most animals that would be the case. Thankfully, I knew another animal custom that showed willingness to submit. Question was whether my dignity was worth not facing a dragon half a size larger than me.
...
Of course it was.
---
Vaira realised just how starved for attention the girl was, when she flopped on her back, exposing her belly, and squeaked.
She wanted bellyrubs! Well, big sister Vaira was happy to oblige.
---
My dignity as a human, no, a thinking being, was shattered as the green dragon placed her claws on my exposed stomach, rubbing them in, all while growling something. After around two minutes, the public humiliation was done, and I could stand up.
Now, how to communicate with her? During the four months I spent with my parents, I gained only minimal knowledge about dragon language. Not to mention I was different species. For all I knew, the green dragons used a language completely different from the one white ones'.
The translation glyph was out, as it was strictly kobold-japanese. Shaman Obok could create another one, but judging by the fact the dragon expected immediate submission, it required time I simply didn't have.
The dragon opened her maw, but instead of growls, came screeching sounds of some grating language.
Elder Obok suddenly became animated "I know this tongue, my Lady! It is Gobri, the dialect of the goblins."
At least I could rely on Obok and his knowledge. Having such competent and versatile employees was a rarity, and in modern society, I had no doubts someone like Obok would rise far, possibly to a level of a C.E.O of a large company.
"Then, elder Obok, please tell me what she was saying."
"As you wish, my lady. Well, erm, the dragon said 'Who's a good girl?'. Or something similar…"
What…
WHAT?!
I am not a fucking dog! I can stand dogeza, salutes and other military displays, even plain, undignified submission! But I will not be someone else's pet! THAT. IS. NOT. HAPPENING!
Fuck it! If I'm dying again, I'm doing it with some shred of dignity! "Elder Obok. Please, introduce me."
---
Vaira realised she might have rubbed the dragon the wrong way.
Her change in demeanor was rapid. One moment, she was talking to the old kobold, the next, she started radiating ice cold hostility.
And not just in metaphorical sense. Magic started radiating from the silver whelp, her front claws covered in strange blades of light. She could sense strength magic and mind magic, but the rest of the spells were alien and unknown. Vaira's mouth was dry from fear of the display of power. It was obvious that the child was both angry and dangerous.
The elder kobold spoke "Introducing, Lady Tanya Degurechaff, the ruler of Earthmounds and slayer of Balor-Mor, Red Eye. My Lady wishes for your dignity, esteemed guest."
The last words practically dripped venom. Whatever she did wrong, she did it hard, changing the touch starved kid into a machine of violence and hate.
What did she do wrong?! Wait! The kobold said the dragon, Tanya, was the leader of the village. Was she not a slave warrior, but a pampered child, demanding to be spoiled?
Vaira decided to risk it. "I am Vaira, daughter of Runarog, the deceased Lord of the village of Grotniks. And should Lady Tanya wish so, I can give her more bellyrubs."
The kobold elder… winced? Nevertheless, he said something to Tanya, touching a stone on her wrist, the strange magical glyph placed upon it translating from hissing kobold speech to a strange, smooth language.
At hearing that, the child growled. It was a deep sound, one filled with malice. Vaira also saw Tanya's rear legs tensing, preparing to leap straight at her throat.
Vaira panicked "Wrong answer! Wrong answer! What do I do?!" Wait, what if Tanya never wanted bellyrubs, and her exposing her belly was a test? What if silver dragons really are dragon fairies? The fey were supposed to be capricious and tricky, so her rapidly changing mood could be a result of Vaira violating some unknown rules, ones that existed only in Tanya's head! She needed to make amends, and fast!
---
An individual, even a patient one, can only take so much mockery. An ego always exists, barring the few haunted by mental illness', one that defines a person's self-worth. And no matter how low said self-worth is, there are attacks on it so reprehensible, no one will willingly let them continue.
A prospect of being made into somebody else's property was one of them. Being mocked about said prospect was another.
I will not stand for this attack on my autonomy. I cannot, not as an individual valuing the universal right for self-determination.
I will not accept it. So I began to plan. The mage blades provided a threat. They will act as an excellent deterrent, preventing the green dragon from just pouncing on me. Then, I could take to the air, and use my illusions as decoy. Should the dragon fall for them, they will lead her on a merry chase while I hide in the forest.
And should she look for me, an ambush from among the trees had bigger chances of killing her than if I just tried to do it here, where my every move was telegraphed. I doubted Vaira, who was nearly an adult if Obok's estimation of green dragon's sizes was correct, would simply let me slice her throat.
My legs tensed, but before I could enact my plan, Vaira dropped flat on her stomach, covering her eyes with her paws, all while screeching something in goblin-speak.
"Elder Obok..?"
"She is saying she is sorry, my Lady. Well, if I was to translate word for word, it would be more 'I'msorryI'msorryI'msorrypleasedon'tkillme.'"
What...
---
Vaira uncovered her face, noting with relief she still had one. The murder-child was now sitting on her rump, her expression one of confusion. Tanya then proceeded to say something to the shaman again, who translated it to Gobri.
"The Lady forgives, but asks as for the motivations of your actions. Such as, why are you here, and what did you wish to accomplish?"
"I am here to verify a rumor that Red Eye was dead. I wished to ask this noble domain about his fate, which I didn't know she was the ruler of."
When the old kobold relied her words to Tanya Degurechaff, the silver dragon's muzzle contorted in a strange expression. This evidently wasn't what she was looking for.
Vaira racked her brain in search of knowledge about the fey. The few known from goblin myths were temperamental, and often expected the answers to questions that weren't yet asked.
What Tanya Degurechaff expected was obvious. A repayment for the slight borne of Vaira's presumption. But what could be the price. A firstborn? The toils of her entire lineage? Or…
Servitude. In fey bargains it always came to servitude. Be it silver dragons tricking other dragons to serve as their child's nannies, Balor tricking the mythical fool Shchyka into making the fey king a god of goblins, dooming them to eternal serfdom, or the endless tales of elves tricking goblins into being pawns in their nebulous plans. It always came down to how the toils of others could benefit them.
Decision made, Vaira gathered her courage, and as the silver dragon was about to say something to her translator, added "I also wish to serve Lady Tanya Degurechaff!"
---
"Elder Obok, are you absolutely sure about the green dragon's words?"
"Yes, my Lady. I even asked her to repeat the question to confirm it."
"Then ask her why did she press her claws to my stomach, if that was what she wished for."
A few seconds later Obok replied. "According to her, it was because you presented it. She thought that was what you wanted, and apologized again for the presumption."
"But wasn't her father a lord of a goblin village? Why does she want to serve, if she is an heir to a position of power?"
"She says that her brother inherited her father's lands. She lives alone in a burrow she dug herself. She also adds that yours is a far greater and more splendorous domain."
"And she didn't know I was the ruler of the village?"
"Positive, lady Tanya."
I am an idiot. An absolute moron.
If a prospective employee, who wanted to move to greener pastures after a company's substantial achievement, was greeted to a job interview by a child, of course they'd be angry. It would look like she was mocked, since they had no way of knowing that said child was in fact, the C.E.O. It just doesn't happen in a logical world.
Sadly, this was not a logical world, me being a giant magical lizard can attest to that. So, what did I do as the aforementioned C.E.O? Go for a full dogeza routine, because I mistook a job interview for the talks about a hostile merger!
And what can a candidate do, but accept the groveling of a C.E.O? And what does said C.E.O do later? Get mad, because they thought they were mocked! A brilliant case study in assumptions and lack of proper communication, stripping both parties of dignity, through no fault on the side of the prospective employee.
But, now that I knew where I made a mistake, and what the other party wanted, I could act as a proper professional. I will accept this mark on my record, and present the wronged party with favourable terms and conditions, as well as advancement opportunities. I might be even able to turn this around in my favour, if Vaira proves competent and ambitious enough. I certainly wouldn't mourn the loss of the responsibilities as a leader, if she wanted my position.
I flashed Vaira my best professional smile. "Obok, tell lady Vaira that I am delighted to have her aboard, and welcome her in hopes for a long and fruitful partnership."