FEB 6 Tuesday.

I sit on a rock hill slowly drawing out a few Dragons as they bathe in lava not too far away. They know I'm here and glance at me but like most others don't seem to care about my presence.

Something interesting about Dragons that is becoming more and more obvious is their general lack of care. As long as something isn't affecting them they are fine with ignoring most things and just going about their days. This has worked out well for me as I can observe them without causing offense.

I've spent the past three days in a much less involved role, mostly surveying the area and watching the Dragons as they live their lives. Many know I'm watching but simply don't care and none have tried to talk to me without me going to them first, at least none so far.

I have also avoided going into the market for the past few days to get a better feel for Dragons from observation before trading more. I've learned several things of interest, a few less savory than others but all of them I've been adding to my bracelet's illusionary notebook. I'm trying to save my single paper notebook for my drawings.

I've been using my bracelet in full view as the Dragons wouldn't even know it was special so there is no reason to inconvenience myself. I don't use it when they are closer to me though, as my paranoia won't allow something like that to get their attention.

One thing I really can't get a read on is the language. I've listened to several conversations and Dragons have both an interesting way of speaking and use the Pony language primarily. It's like Celestia said all those years ago, they have their own language but most of them only seem to know bits and pieces of it.

The older and larger Dragons seem to know it more but it's been hard to nail this all down by just eavesdropping. I will need to actually talk to them more to get better information on this mystery. It's still odd though that they use the Pony tongue as a primary language.

Anyway, beyond that I've seen that Dragons are both more and less private than ponies. Many don't like anyone going near their cave or hoard, I've seen some fights about that, but in a few ways, they could care less who's watching. Basically, it turns out they aren't the most concerned with where they mate, as I found out by accident.

I was watching a group of Dragons and two split off a bit, not really even hiding, just moving away from the group a little, not even out of earshot. Then they just, went at it... I left very shortly after seeing that start happening. I'm still a bit uncomfortable with ponies being naked all the time, let alone THAT.

I'm not sure if that was a unique circumstance or just some VERY open Dragons but I luckily haven't seen anything else like that since then. In the end, I had to find a solitary place to calm down before my body yet again fucked with me, no pun intended.

I finish my drawing and put away my notebook before starting the short walk back to my campsite. Beyond that particular incident I got the opportunity to see some young dragons fight, it was pretty disappointing actually. The dragons were around twice the size of me and clearly young as the fight was really just them hitting each other without skill.

They didn't use their claws much though and it wasn't very bloody either, a few cuts and bruises here and there at most. Like all the other races in this weird-ass world the Dragons are more peaceful than I expected them to be, they are still by far the most violent I've encountered in this world though.

Overall the Dragons seem like a less violent and less organized human, if a little dumber. That's not to be insulting either, it's not like the Dragon race is stupid, I mean look at Spike he's a young Dragon and turns out to be very intelligent. But the Dragons here simply lack the need and ability to attain higher learning here.

The best a young Dragon can do is to talk to an older Dragon to learn a few things they may have picked up, not that I think many of the older Dragons would be too interested in teaching them. I did notice older Dragons never seem to fight the younger ones, it seems like something of an unspoken social norm to not fight those much younger than themselves, or maybe it’s just not a good challenge.

I've seen the bigger ones pacify a young Dragon if they are annoying them, but that's about it and it's never a real fight. I haven't really seen any truly young Dragons yet either, but I presume they don't leave their nests much for fear of getting themselves hurt.

Overall I'd say Dragons are a much less emotional race that tends to be more violent, but that doesn't mean they have no emotions or ignore them completely. Those two Dragons I saw fuc- Being intimate, were very snuggly before and seemed to care about each other at the moment.

Like any sapient race Dragons are far more complex beings than many may first assume. I leave my mental rant and approach the cave I've been calling home so far. I pass the shield and descend down the tunnel while Entropy leaves my Shadow to go sit down somewhere.

She's been doing better, time around Dragons from a larger distance has made her calm down more, but I know she's still afraid of them because she always stays in my shadow when we leave. I take a moment to look around my camp to make sure everything is fine.

I've made several extensive changes to the place and it looks far different from before. The ceiling is covered in Companion Vines for some color and to keep loose rocks from falling on me. I've leveled the cavern floor by growing a piece of White Oak wood to form a solid wooden floor. I also grew it into an actual bed to put my sleeping bag on and a desk to work at.

The walls I have covered in moss and as a final addition I left a third of the cavern floor exposed on one side of the cavern. In this area I've set up a garden bed of soil I made and a firepit made from a ring of piled stones. I had to add a modified Cleaning spell to deal with the campfire smoke to the emerald but that was simple enough.

The moss is actually interesting as it is the first plant I've come across in the Dragon Lands. It is a deep green moss that grows in the heat with little water, it is very resilient and can grow on basically any rock surface. I spend a few moments looking over a bag of chili powder I've grown and dried out earlier today before grinding it down.

I had some peppers and I thought I'd make some of this as a trade good. I don't really need to do this as I have more than enough bits apparently, but it could prove interesting to sell, and getting interesting interactions is part of the reason I'm even here. It's also my vacation, I can spend some time messing around with spices for fun.

After tying the bag shut I put the ten-pound bag on my back and pet Entropy a bit while throwing a log I grew into the fire to keep it going. "We still have more to do, Girl. You want to stay out this time?" I offer gently trying to encourage her to not be afraid as much while also trying to not pressure her into it.

She chirps a bit but slips inside my shadow after a moment. I nod and smile regardless, "Ok, thank you for coming with me, Girl." I stay positive as I walk out of my cave and she chirps back happily at that. As I walk up the tunnel I notice movement in my senses not far from the cave entrance.

It's not next to it but close enough, and after getting a bit closer I notice a few younger Dragons outside, three to be precise. I've seen other Dragons nearby enough to not care though and just leave my cave while heading in the direction of the market.

As I leave I see the Dragons, three of them around twice to three times my size. I keep walking but I notice them turning to look at me before following after a few moments. "By magic..." I mumble under my breath and just ignore them while walking up the rocky terrain at a steady pace.

After a moment though they pass me a few dozen feet to my left, hidden from sight by some rocks but making enough noise to notice them without my magical senses. I'm not sure what they have planned but they are trying to be stealthy at a minimum, so I cast the flame shield on myself and check my dagger. As I move past a rock formation I sense them getting in my path after moving around and ahead of me.

Two of them are a bit off to the side hiding and another is hiding behind a rock I'll pass by, none of them seem to be a large threat so I decide to see what they have planned. I walk up to the rock and a moment later the singular Dragon pops out, the two to the side show themselves to watch as the third jumps out in front of me. "ROOOORRRRR!!!" The admittedly ballsy Dragon roars loudly right in my face with only a few feet in between us.

The other two start to laugh as the one in my face does the same after backing up a little. I take a moment to look over the Dragon and notice I actually recognize him. Deep red scales and sandy-colored underbelly, orange spines along their back, and a mocking laugh.

Garble, an interesting Dragon from the show, already living up to his name by being a little shit. Their collective laughing starts to die early though, because I didn't react. It's not that I froze in shock or panic, I didn't even flinch and just stared at Garble. "You three should get better at ambushes, they can be effective if done right." I quickly decide that it's fair to turn about and start to fuck with them in turn.

I didn't attack first because they didn't really seem to be setting up a true ambush. Garble was sitting behind that rock trying to not laugh, and his claws stayed on the ground away from me. I wasn't certain, but this seemed like a prank, and now it's my turn to return the favor.

I give them that advice with as wide a smile as I can manage. "RGAAAA!!" I move forward a bit and scream right back in his face. He flinches back in surprise and his eyes widen as his irises narrow, as he's backing up quickly he trips on a rock and stumbles a bit before falling on his rear end.

There is silence for a moment before the other two Dragons start to laugh even harder, this time not at me but at him. He looks between me and them for a moment and growls at all of us, "Shut the fuck up you two!" He shouts at them and looks at me with a snarl showing all his teeth.

He closes the distance between us and stares me in the eyes with barely a foot between us. "You! You fucking Pony!" He screams with a snarl trying to intimidate me. I stay silent and keep my massive smile while staring at him unblinking for several long moments.

He looks at me but I don't give an inch and move even closer, feeling his hot breath on my muzzle as he stands above me. "Yes? What can I do for you?" I say cheerily to him and still refuse to blink. He growls again but after a moment his eyes start to dart around before he blinks.

Something in his eyes changes and he backs up a bit as I remain unmoving or blinking. Interesting fact, many predators don't like something else staring at them intently for prolonged amounts of time. It seems he realized this felt wrong and backed off more, still holding his angry expression, but also looking a little put off.

I just stare at him silently and still refuse to have my massive smile falter or blink, despite my eyes wanting to by this point. "I... Oh! Just fuck off!" He grumbles and moves to the side walking over to his little gang, who are whispering about my weird reaction. As he walks away I track him with my head and do so for nearly a few minutes as they walk away, catching my eyes when they glance back occasionally to see me staring them down.

Once they are gone out of both sight and earshot I blink several times while laughing loudly at the absurdity of what just happened. I was ready to use my space magic to throw him away if he actually tried anything, and he was unlikely to have been a threat at all. Still, it was funny as hell to creep them out.

It is also interesting meeting another recognizable face from the show, it's not really worth worrying over though. He's a minor character at best and me messing with him is unlikely to do anything at all. I wonder if he'd like glitter? Then again, what I did was enough for now, best not to push my luck.

I start to whistle a tune as I continue my walk toward the market while enjoying the decent weather. It doesn't take me long to make it to the market as I stop on a hill overlooking the busy place, spending a few minutes writing down anything interesting I notice for more observations.

I quickly notice a larger Dragon, more than a hundred feet long, moving closer to me from the side. Walking slowly over in clear sight, but keeping their eyes on me. I deactivated my bracelet and noticed it seems to be one of the guards of the market. I've been here several times over the past days to observe the market from a distance and I remember seeing them before.

I turn my head to them as they get close, I nod in simple greeting as the massive Dragon pauses before nodding back a bit. "Hello, need something?" I greet calmly, still in a good mood after having my fun. They raise a brow at my chipper mood and calm voice, apparently expecting a different reaction.

"Why are you here every day?" The deep male voice asks slightly impatiently while motioning to the area with a clawed hand. "You've shown up for a few days, keep writing things. Why?" He demands simply while showing his teeth like many others have done.

I nod again. "Well, I came here to trade and learn things about you all." I motion to the market and turn away from him, showing no fear while turning my back to him. "I was marking down different observations, population size, trading habits, things like that." I be completely honest with him. "So, you're one of the guards here?" I ask curiously.

He huffs and rolls his eyes at me. "Yes. Just don't get killed, I don't want to deal with that." He says with a short tone and walks right off. I shrug a little and move towards the market again, used to the curt and blunt attitude already. It's not too much of a surprise I'd be questioned, it's more of a surprise how little it has actually happened though.

I looked around the market after getting close but couldn't see Aroura anywhere, so I just started to walk around for a while to see if I could find anything of interest. I stop at a thicker-than-normal Dragon who's selling food, mostly fish but also some spices as well. Nothing I don't recognize though so I move on for now.

Eventually, I stop near a dragon with an assortment of large stone or metal bowls and ore sitting in their trading area as they rest with their head against the ground. I don't have much use for metal right now but I am rather curious about them and how they practice this craft.

I walk over after a little thought and catch their eyes. "Do you shape metal as well?" I ask bluntly and they just nod silently while grimacing at me, showing an annoyed face. I don't think it's good to pester this one so I just nod at them, "Thanks." I walk off having gotten an answer to at least one question.

:Well, not all of my attempts work out, I can get answers somewhere else though: After more walking, I notice a very large Dragon flying in, they are at least three hundred feet long and are pretty massive. They are carrying a very large metal bowl filled with items.

They touch down at the edge of the market and I start to make my way over there quickly, very interested in the sight. One thing I've really noticed about Dragons is the size inconsistency. They look younger but are larger than older-looking Dragons, this massive Dragon looks old, truly old.

I've gotten better at guessing their ages based on looks, but I'm far from perfect at that. There are some easier signs though, faded scars, horn damage, and scale quality are the big ones to look for. The first Dragon I ever got an age from was large but in hindsight looked to be older than many others.

Yet others are larger and younger looking, so it seems size isn't always a good indicator of age. I'm still trying to figure out how that works. I walk over and step into the shadow of the massive Dragon as they lay down like all the other Dragons interested in selling things, in a circle head to tail.

A few others look interested but I'm the first to actually walk up to them as they settle in. They have an assortment of gems, gold items, and other bits inside the metal bowl. They glance at me with an eye as I walk right over, having to walk near the base of their neck as their tail is too tall and blocks my sight from looking at the items they have.

Some of the gems they have are massive and I spot a small ship as well, like an entire boat. It looks very old and damaged, probably a shipwreck. "Pony." The abrupt greeting is in a very deep female voice. She smells the air for a moment and looks closer at me from right above by turning her head. "What have you brought to trade?" She asks.

The tone is not expressive or loud, it's simply blunt and relaxed, she's even quiet to a degree with her voice carrying well. I back up a bit to not have to crane my neck up, an action that takes me several moments. I stop backing up and face her as she lowers her head some to stare at me, and at this close distance, I can truly appreciate the size of this Dragon.

Her main scales are a deep blue sapphire color with her underbelly being a blue so dark it almost looks black. Her spines are a slightly brighter blue, her black horns curving inward on either side of her head that holds a pair of pairing ocean blue eyes that stare me down.

Her size is so large that one of her teeth is larger than me and her claws dwarf me in size, but what strikes me more than that is her obvious age. The weathering on her scales, several large faded scars, and the large crack in her left horn. The general feeling of age she seems to carry with her shows just how long she's lived.

Her voice isn't as loud as I expected and she seems calm enough for me. I ignore a bit of fear and take off the bag on my back, "Chili powder." I take a little powder out and throw it in the air so she can better smell it. She tilts her massive head a bit and smells deeply after moving her head closer.

Her eyes never leave me and she looks completely expressionless. "Ssss." Her tongue flicks out to taste the air I think and she moves her head back. "Strong flavor, see anything of interest to you?" She keeps her eyes on me and watches my movements closely, showing no curiosity about my relaxed stance and words, just watching me.

She shifts her tail out of the way and I move close to look over the literal hill of things inside the massive metal bowl. The small hill seems to be organized in some way, with familiar groupings of items visible, but it's hard for me to really make anything out. I think for a moment and turn back to her, "Do you have any books or texts, Elder?" I decided to add that out of some respect for her age and to not be rude.

She doesn't react to the title but nods her head. She reaches out into the hill with deft claws and very gently picks up a wooden crate from some point beyond my sight before bringing it over. She brings it close and drops it near me very gently, her control of her moments is impressive.

I keep my magic ready in case anything goes wrong, but she seems reasonable enough. I look inside the medium-sized crate to see several dozen books and a few scrolls. "For that bag, you can take five, your choice." She says still keeping her level of tone and not giving anything away.

By this point this Dragon has got my undivided curiosity, she's much less abrasive than others, and gives much MUCH less away with her actions and words. It reminds me of myself in a way, she's also pretty nice all things considered. I wonder just what she could teach me?

I look away from her and she watches me as I quickly look through the books and items inside the crate, I decided not to try and bargain for this trade. Most are Griffon texts, and everything has a large amount of wear and tear to it. I do find two books in ancient Pony, they are so old in fact I can't even read them, a good souvenir for Celestia.

I take a pair of older-looking Griffon books and one scroll that seems to be a rough map of an unknown location that I find interesting. She sees me make my choices and moves the crate quickly when I step away while holding the items next to me. "Will that be all, Pony?" She asks while keeping her eyes on me even as other Dragons wait at a distance for us to be done.

I think for a moment and decide to take a slight risk as she does seem calm enough that I can backpedal if needed. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd be willing to let me pay you to answer some questions." I offer back with no-nonsense as I do not want to insult her in any way.

I see her eyes narrow at me a little and smoke drifts from her nose. She is silent so I just nod and turn around to leave her alone. "Maybe another day, Pony. But for now how about this? Two questions, for two questions." The offer makes me stop mid-step and look back to her, as she stares back expressionless.

She really is an interesting Dragon, but I can tell her words have some meaning deeper underneath. She's not as simple as she looks. I nod again after pretending to think for a moment. "Deal. Name and age." I ask simply deciding to be very blunt about my questions and stop bothering this Dragon for now in hopes of talking to her more later.

She looks at me and for the first time, she shows a little of her teeth, a very slight smirk. "Larimar, and I don't know." She says with a small bit of amusement in her tone, maybe, it's hard to tell. "What is your job?" She asks and nearly throws me off with the odd question.

I shrug after thinking for a moment. "I do a lot, but I don't have an official job. If I had to pick? I'd say a researcher is the closest to what I do." She seemed honest when she admitted she doesn't know her own age, something I find interesting in and of itself, so I was honest as well. It's not like my answer really tells her much either.

She stays silent and maintains eye contact with me, almost like she's searching for something. "I wonder, what makes you look at me like that, like I am prey." She says without really asking anything, her tone calm, curious, and quiet. I tense a little at that but hide my reaction from her, keeping the polite mask up as I wonder what she means. Another long moment of silence before she asks her question. "Why do you feel like a predator?" She asks bluntly.

I stare her down for a long moment. I shouldn't be too surprised honestly, Phelix knew something was up with me, so why wouldn't a Dragon? Especially one this old and experienced. I smile at her softly after several seconds of silence, very much aware of the other Dragons looking at us talking from the sidelines.

They are too far away to hear us but some are watching us talk. "My name is Shade. It was nice to meet you, Elder Larimar." I put the books away and looked back up at her. "I find that being a predator has more to do with mindset than anything else. And I am a predator." I answer her while still being truthful. "May we meet again." I turn and start to walk away still smiling.

She watches me leave silently, pondering something unknown. I was being honest, I feel like a predator because I am one, nothing less or more, it's not my fault most others can't see past this body. I walk away thinking that I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her, I feel like she'll be interesting if I can get a proper conversation going.

Larimar. I wonder, what have you seen in that long life of yours?

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :]
Current year is 996

Not too much for me to say here. I guess... Any interesting plant ideas? Ones he could find in the Dragon Lands, maybe magical?

PS, taking tomorrow off. You the know the drill, see you all Monday.