Project: TheirWorld - Chapter 036 - Part 2

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The Dragon King of the Mist

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TheirWorld

The dragon moved closer to her again, its great claws coming out from behind the falls and into the lake, causing the water to splash and wave, the ground shaking as if there were an earthquake. It put its head down into the water as well, leveling one of its great eyes with her. “How is the good of the Che any different than my illusions? There one moment, and then gone the next, and only the horrible reality is left behind. The good may save the forest for the day, but the evil will destroy it, forever.”

Guin hear the words and could not refute the dragon’s logic. But as she stood and stared into the dragon’s great eye, her reflection stared back at her - and her fear and uncertainty left her. Replacing it instead, was an all too familiar feeling of disgust. It wasn’t her dirty clothes, or her disheveled hair. It wasn’t even that she was a child.

Look at me, she said to herself. Who would listen to… to that. That small, cowering thing with wide eyes and shaking knees. This time she wanted to cry no just for Tik-Tak and the other spirits of the forest; she wanted to cry because whether it be this world of the game, or her real life, no matter how old she truly, the only thing that Tik-Tak and those other spirits of the forest had was a scared, frightened little girl who had so little confidence in herself and others, that whether her life was on the line or not, she couldn’t even stand up to a video game.

Guin looked over to Jormund and Dawl. They trusted me. They followed me. They led me to this place… But what could a frightened little girl do?

Slamming her eyes shut and clenching her fists, she focused on steading her breaths. This isn’t a test of fear, she told herself. This is a test of courage.

Though she trembled, she stared into the dragon’s pupil, surrounded by its icy iris.

“I cannot control others,” she began, her voice low. “I can’t predict the future. But I do know this - if no one does anything to stop the bad things from happening, then of course the bad things will happen. If you watch something happen that you could have just prevented because you thought it would be pointless to take action, then you are just as guilty as those who committed the the wrongdoing. If you do nothing, not to stop the corruption - no matter how big or small - then you are just as guilty as the Che.”

The dragon gave her a wide grin, the waters of the lake splashing against its teeth with an unsettling sloosh-ing sound. “Is this your answer as a Candidate?”

Annoyed at the mention of the title ‘Candidate” Guin said, “It’s my answer as a person.”

“Person, Candidate - it makes little difference to me, Che-child,” the voice in her head said. “But I wonder, do you plan to stop here, with this event?”

“What?”

“You speak such pretty, hypocritical words,” the dragon told her in an amused voice that made Guin’s heart falter. “If you are here as a person who wishes only to save a friend, then I would like you to not speak quite so arrogantly to me of things which have responsibilities that shall not be expected of you, but rather, ones that you expect others do take up.” Feeling exposed, Guin opened and closed her mouth like a fish. “Candidate for the Heart, what is it you really want? Why do you think have you come here at all?”

“Umm…” Guin muttered, quickly losing her courage. “To cleanse the forest. To stop the corruption. To save the spirits of the forest…”

“Yes, yes, that much is quite clear. But the spirits only led you here because you are a Candidate,” the dragon told her. “Why do you think that is?”

“Because…” confused, Guin thought about the events that led her to this place. “They trusted me?”

“To do what?”

“...to… end the corruption?”

Waves splashed as the dragon lifted its head in a booming laugh. “To end the corruption?” it went. “And what is it you plan to do about it, Candidate? What do you think the corruption is? Where do you think is comes from?”

Something about the dragon’s dialogue seemed jarring to her, but at least she felt confident enough to answer, though perhaps too quickly standing in the chaos of the lake, “The corruption is a spirit that infects other spirits. It is born of sorrow; sorrow caused by evil deeds!”

The dragon’s eyes seemed to mock her as he gave a deep chuckle. “Such as simple answer,” it mused. “So simple - and so very, very wrong. I wonder,” it went, drawing close to her again. “What will happen to you once you learn the truth.”

“The… Truth?” Guin stammered.

“Yes, Candidate for the Heart,” it said in a quiet voice. “The truth.” The large eye that watched her narrowed. “You are an interesting one, indeed. Promise me, Candidate. Promise me that you shall become a Candidate in ernest, and act out the words you speak - only then, will I promise you that I will save this forest.”

Guin looked up at the dragon with a mix of curiosity and confusion. When it spoke those words, she had expected a quest window to pop up, but none did. There was just her and the dragon, staring down at her with an intimidating stare.

“...You just want my word?” she asked.

“Such that it is.”

She hesitated. What the heck does this mean? What should I do? Guin looked back over at where her friends were and sighed. If you make a promise to a dragon, Guin, you had better keep it - quest or no…

With a deep breath, Guin settled her heart down and made her decision. It’s just a game, anyway, she thought to herself with the full understanding that was basically signing a PvP contract. Maybe it will be fun?

“I’ll do it,” Guin told it. “I’ll act as a genuine Candidate.”

The cavern quaked as it was once again filled with the Dragon King’s laughter. Though she felt afraid, Guin did her best to hold her ground. To her surprise, however, the image of the dragon began to fade away into mist, the laughter that filled the area - and even the sound of the waterfall - fading with it.

Spinning around, Guin searched for some answers as to what was going on. The world around her seemed to come to a stop as the mist shrouded even the edges of the lake from her view.

“Behind you,” came a smooth, cold voice. Guin turned to see a young, androgynous white haired person, dressed in fine robes sitting on the dragon’s tablet. Its ears were long, and looked a little bit like fish fins, and a pair of silvery horns shone from the top of its head.

“I am Tethaigou, Dragon King of the Mist,” it told her. “My people have told me much about you, Candidate.”