Post by Tom M on Dec 23, 2023 13:29:11 GMT
Co-written with Jaz
As Digs is leading a mule and cart through the streets of Daring Heights, the contents of which are covered by a large tarpaulin, Zola spots him and makes her way over to say hi. Seeing someone directly approaching him, Digs panics and immediately goes to steer the mule into an alleyway before he recognises Zola and actually looks pretty pleased to see her.
“Hey Digs! Whatcha got there?”
Digs greets her with a wave and looks over his shoulders quickly to be sure they're not being watched. He hops down off the mule and lifts up the edge of the tarp.
"Blue dragon skull."
Zola’s single eye widens. “Wait… Is that the same one as…?”
He cocks his head, "Huh? Oh no! Umm... a practice run. Big though right?"
“Very big! Where’d you find them?”
“In an old temple to Gaknulak near Kundar. I umm… had a dream about it. We ran away the first time, but I was thinking about what you said and I got a group together and we went back and well… it was sort of already dead, but we had to fight it anyway, and I wasn’t even the one who killed it this time, but… it’s the thought that counts sometimes right?” he gives an optimistic smile, proudly revealing the red dragon scale armour, still dripping with glowing blue ichor, underneath his poncho
“Wow, Digs, that’s incredible! I’m so proud of you!”
She glances back and forth between him and the dragon skull in awe. “You said you dreamt about it? Sounds like a divine intervention!”
“Thanks! And… yeah I guess it could be? I kinda thought it was a lesson about not eating so much cheese I find in the street before bedtime.”
Zola lays a hand on the dragon’s snout. “A blue dragon, huh? I’ve heard that’s one of the evil ones.”
“Yeah, definitely a dragon.” He beams, “Nearly as big as the one back home. Maybe going back someday isn’t as crazy as I thought.”
Digs noticeably switches from excited to contemplative, “Growing up they told us dragons were like gods, but… they’re not are they?” He raps his knuckles on the skull, “They bleed just like us. They die just like us.”
“Yeah, they’re strong but they’re not unlike people, really. I did meet a truly massive one on Mount Celestia though, a big old grump that could swipe off a mountain with one claw.”
Digs cocks his head as he makes a mental note, “Good to know.”
“He probably is a god, to think of it. You can’t not be a god or an angel and live on Mount Celestia.” Zola stops and turns to him, an eyebrow cocked. “What do you mean?”
“Just good to know where dragons are. Wait we were talking about my stuff back home, what’s happening with your family business? I hope it’s going better because that was… rough.”
“So you can avoid Mount Celestia? I think that’s pretty easy to do,” Zola says with a chuckle and Digs chuckles along pretending he understands the joke.
Zola looks at him for a second and her eye narrows slightly. “You were noting that to avoid places with dragons in it, right…?”
Digs looks at the ground ashamed, “I umm… I was going to look it up because I don’t know where that is. We didn’t have schools and stuff back home. I… don’t actually know where home is like, on a map or anything.”
“I laughed because I didn’t want you to think I was stupid.”
“Aw Digs, you’re not stupid for not knowing things. But you’re not gonna go looking for the very big dragon god, are you?”
“No Zola.”
“Good, ‘cause even though he’s a big old grump, he’s a good guy deep down and shouldn’t be disturbed!”
Digs narrows his eyebrows for a split second, “So yeah, what’s going on with your family? Unless you don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh, um… Nothing new yet. Talked to some people, still waiting to hear back.” She shrugs.
“That sucks. Well, if you do hear back and need any swords stolen or anything let me know. I feel like I’m on the right path for once and I’m never going to be a big shiny paladin or anything, but… thank you.”
“And you should be okay with that. Everyone is special in their own way — that’s what an archangel told me. If everyone was a big shiny paladin, the world would be very boring indeed! Or a very war-torn one… hmm…” Zola taps a finger on her chin in a brief moment of self-reflection. "So where are you taking that skull?"
"I found this place a while ago that nobody else is living in for some reason. Underground, secure, lots of room, plenty of food... it's not like this is going to fit in that room I was hiring! Might be tricky getting it in though." he takes a few steps back from the cart and holds his hands out as if measuring it against other nearby objects. "I'll figure something out. You're welcome to come and visit once I get it all sorted."
“Sounds great, Digs. Oh darn, I better go to my masonry lesson now, I’m already running late. See you around?”
“Masonry lesson? Huh… you don’t seem… yeah, see you around!”
As they wave at each other and then turn and go their respective ways, Zola glances over her shoulder once more, her gaze lingering on Digs as a worried frown forms on her brow. But she carries on.
As Digs is leading a mule and cart through the streets of Daring Heights, the contents of which are covered by a large tarpaulin, Zola spots him and makes her way over to say hi. Seeing someone directly approaching him, Digs panics and immediately goes to steer the mule into an alleyway before he recognises Zola and actually looks pretty pleased to see her.
“Hey Digs! Whatcha got there?”
Digs greets her with a wave and looks over his shoulders quickly to be sure they're not being watched. He hops down off the mule and lifts up the edge of the tarp.
"Blue dragon skull."
Zola’s single eye widens. “Wait… Is that the same one as…?”
He cocks his head, "Huh? Oh no! Umm... a practice run. Big though right?"
“Very big! Where’d you find them?”
“In an old temple to Gaknulak near Kundar. I umm… had a dream about it. We ran away the first time, but I was thinking about what you said and I got a group together and we went back and well… it was sort of already dead, but we had to fight it anyway, and I wasn’t even the one who killed it this time, but… it’s the thought that counts sometimes right?” he gives an optimistic smile, proudly revealing the red dragon scale armour, still dripping with glowing blue ichor, underneath his poncho
“Wow, Digs, that’s incredible! I’m so proud of you!”
She glances back and forth between him and the dragon skull in awe. “You said you dreamt about it? Sounds like a divine intervention!”
“Thanks! And… yeah I guess it could be? I kinda thought it was a lesson about not eating so much cheese I find in the street before bedtime.”
Zola lays a hand on the dragon’s snout. “A blue dragon, huh? I’ve heard that’s one of the evil ones.”
“Yeah, definitely a dragon.” He beams, “Nearly as big as the one back home. Maybe going back someday isn’t as crazy as I thought.”
Digs noticeably switches from excited to contemplative, “Growing up they told us dragons were like gods, but… they’re not are they?” He raps his knuckles on the skull, “They bleed just like us. They die just like us.”
“Yeah, they’re strong but they’re not unlike people, really. I did meet a truly massive one on Mount Celestia though, a big old grump that could swipe off a mountain with one claw.”
Digs cocks his head as he makes a mental note, “Good to know.”
“He probably is a god, to think of it. You can’t not be a god or an angel and live on Mount Celestia.” Zola stops and turns to him, an eyebrow cocked. “What do you mean?”
“Just good to know where dragons are. Wait we were talking about my stuff back home, what’s happening with your family business? I hope it’s going better because that was… rough.”
“So you can avoid Mount Celestia? I think that’s pretty easy to do,” Zola says with a chuckle and Digs chuckles along pretending he understands the joke.
Zola looks at him for a second and her eye narrows slightly. “You were noting that to avoid places with dragons in it, right…?”
Digs looks at the ground ashamed, “I umm… I was going to look it up because I don’t know where that is. We didn’t have schools and stuff back home. I… don’t actually know where home is like, on a map or anything.”
“I laughed because I didn’t want you to think I was stupid.”
“Aw Digs, you’re not stupid for not knowing things. But you’re not gonna go looking for the very big dragon god, are you?”
“No Zola.”
“Good, ‘cause even though he’s a big old grump, he’s a good guy deep down and shouldn’t be disturbed!”
Digs narrows his eyebrows for a split second, “So yeah, what’s going on with your family? Unless you don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh, um… Nothing new yet. Talked to some people, still waiting to hear back.” She shrugs.
“That sucks. Well, if you do hear back and need any swords stolen or anything let me know. I feel like I’m on the right path for once and I’m never going to be a big shiny paladin or anything, but… thank you.”
“And you should be okay with that. Everyone is special in their own way — that’s what an archangel told me. If everyone was a big shiny paladin, the world would be very boring indeed! Or a very war-torn one… hmm…” Zola taps a finger on her chin in a brief moment of self-reflection. "So where are you taking that skull?"
"I found this place a while ago that nobody else is living in for some reason. Underground, secure, lots of room, plenty of food... it's not like this is going to fit in that room I was hiring! Might be tricky getting it in though." he takes a few steps back from the cart and holds his hands out as if measuring it against other nearby objects. "I'll figure something out. You're welcome to come and visit once I get it all sorted."
“Sounds great, Digs. Oh darn, I better go to my masonry lesson now, I’m already running late. See you around?”
“Masonry lesson? Huh… you don’t seem… yeah, see you around!”
As they wave at each other and then turn and go their respective ways, Zola glances over her shoulder once more, her gaze lingering on Digs as a worried frown forms on her brow. But she carries on.