FEB 26 Monday.

I finish my last few words as Torch laughs again, enjoying my retelling of the fight I had with Obsidian.

I spent several minutes telling him about the fight in decent detail. I left out several things and changed a few facts, like saying that I used a spell to cut off Obsidian's tail instead of my space magic. I also downplayed my ability in the fight and was a little honest about having some anxiety over the fight.

He stops laughing after a few moments, he glances over and picks up his large metal bowl to once again drink the collected water. Enough time has passed that he needed more than one swallow to drink it all. "Ssssss." He lets out a slow and satisfied hiss after placing the bowl back.

He looks back at me with a smile. "You picked the perfect gift, I don't need to leave my hoard, I can just sleep." He celebrates his new gift a little more. "You fight well enough too, and can tell a good story." He praises me more and I actually feel a little bashful, not used to such blatant compliments. "Now you must have questions, ask away." He encourages abruptly.

I smile back at him in thought. I really am starting to like Torch, he's nice enough, and even when I did something in the fight he thought was dumb he simply pointed it out with some humor. He never insults me and tries to make light of my failures in a good-natured way, he's not what I expected.

I've also had time to look around the room and his hoard more while telling my story. I've noticed several things and a few are really interesting to me, one of particular interest is the eight pillars supporting this room. Each is covered in Dragon writing, sadly I can't translate it without spending a long time in this room working on each word.

Another interesting thing is the back wall of the massive room, it has several dozen shelves carved from stone with other various items of note. One shelf has a gold ingot the size of a house and is a frankly absurd amount of gold. Another shelf holds over a dozen ships on stone stands, all in various conditions.

The final thing of real interest is the fucking massive sword sitting on one of the shelves. It looks to be over one hundred feet long and ten feet thick, the entire piece is cast from a single piece of solid metal. It looks sharp as well but is rusted in a few places and clearly showing its age. "Would you care if I take notes?" I ask and he shakes his head. "I see you have several ships back there, do you collect them?" I ask curiously.

He glances back at the ships, along with the ship he was inspecting when I arrived, which he placed on the ground nearby. He picks up the previously forgotten ship and shifts his massive body to place it back where it belongs with the others. "Yes, I find them to be interesting things. For such small creations, they cut through the water as good as we do." He shows a slightly excited tone at getting to talk about his collection.

I nod and start to sketch out a few of the ship's forms quickly while also taking notes of his words. "It is an impressive craft, not that I would really know, I've never even been on a ship." I joke slightly. "You seem to have a few older ones as well, where did you find them?" I ask as engaging with his interests is a good starting point.

He nods in agreement and picks up a different ship, a small wave of loose gold moving around his hoard as the gold is shifted while he moves. I feel the vibrations from his weight through the stone underneath me as he takes a step. "Yes, a few I got from the sea floor, they took a lot of work to drain. And you are right, I have met a few sailors and they work hard to move such things around with nothing but the wind." He says with some slight admiration.

I'm not entirely sure why he thinks that as most Dragons wouldn't care about sailors at all, I guess it's just one of his quirks. He holds up the ship close so I can see it, this ship looking much more intact and less degraded. "This one I bought from some Griffons, it only took some gold, and showed my teeth a little." He chuckles at that.

That reminds me of an interesting fact about Dragons. While they eat gems their largest source of food is the sea, and Dragons are well accustomed to the ocean and swim often. They can dive very deep underwater and hold their breath for a long time, it's something I found odd as they have such an affinity to fire.

In the Dragon Lands though the only reliable source of food is the ocean, so despite their normal environment Dragons are very used to the sea. I wouldn't be surprised if many treasures in Torch's hoard are from wrecked ships and their lost loot, which is pretty clever actually.

I make a few small notes and move on as he places the ship back. "That sword is also interesting, it makes sense I guess. I do find the fact that Dragons work with metal to be interesting. It's not something I expected, any good story behind the weapon?" I share a few of my thoughts honestly to see what his reaction would be.

He looks at the weapon but doesn't move to pick it up, instead he lays back down facing me before answering. "You're not the first to say so, we may not do detail, but we make our own impressive works." He gives a less interested response. "As for the sword? It is a reminder in a way, of madness and fools." He huffs a little smoke out.

I wait for him to continue as his tail buries itself in gold being him, almost swimming in it. "You have talked to many Dragons, have you ever heard the tale of, Dark, Dragon Lord of Greed?" My ears perk up not expecting that topic to come up, but it is something I am very interested in.

I nod and think for a moment. "A few weeks ago I made a deal with Elder Larimar, I wanted to learn about Dragons so I've been learning from her." My answer makes his brows raise a good amount as he gains a look of slight surprise. "She has been, interesting to talk to," I add.

He nods slowly. "I have been seeing less of her recently, to think you spent so much time with an Elder." I notice that even he puts some emphasis on her title. "A good choice as well, she's lived longer than most and has seen much. She is rather cold though, never one to tell a good story." He complains a little as if they were old neighbors.

He doesn't sound close to Larimar, but I know there aren't many elder Dragons so they mostly likely know each other after living so long in the same area. I nod and continue writing, "She is rather factual with things, but she knows a lot. She ended up talking about the Greed Dragons, and Dark came up." I move us back to the topic so we can continue.

He nods and looks back at the sword. "Not much to say, he went mad from greed. Made that to fight and challenge any Dragon he thought might be after his hoard. A few Dragon Lords have used it after that, but it makes fights so much less entertaining." He seems to speak from experience and holds some disdain for the weapon.

The small bits of information are interesting but not really useful, he doesn't really seem all that interested or knowledgeable in the topic. I decided to change the topic again as this seems like a dead end, "I am curious how old you are? I also noticed the pillars, and all the Dragon words. What do they mean?" I keep my casual tone and try to ask something more personal.

He looks at the pillars and looks a bit more interested in this topic. "Two thousand and... Something, I lost count after a while and a few good hits to the head." He laughs and makes another joke. His eyes linger over the pillars, "Those hold the names of every dead Dragon Lord, supposedly, no one is really sure how true that is." He adds the second part after a little thought.

I can see why he might be doubtful about that fact, all the pillars are half full of writing in many different sizes. It's hard to make sense of anything in the mess and while I think there is some truth to his words it might not be fully accurate. "Hmm, I actually wanted to ask about that, how long have you been the Dragon Lord? and how did you become Dragon Lord?"

He smiles again and focuses back on me. "Now that is a good tale to tell, it was a fire of a fight." He says excitedly and settles in fully. Moving his head down as he curls up to be more comfortable while talking. "I have been Dragon Lord for two hundred and fifty-three years, and I took the crown from Dragon Lord Brim." He starts his story and seems happy to tell it.

I start to transcribe his words as a first hoof account of the story. "I still remember that day, Brim had always been a stubborn bastard, he didn't even take on challenges often." He huffs in annoyance. "A good Dragon Lord lets others challenge them every few decades, keeps you sharp, and if they win they earned it." He explains when I raise a brow curiously.

I've seen several mentions of Dragons challenging for the title of Dragon Lord. Larimar shed some light on how the process normally works, although it really depends on the Dragon Lord in question. It's one of the few traditions almost every Dragon actually does care about.

The right to have the opportunity to fight for the crown in some way, sometimes that means a duel, or a difficult task, or a gauntlet, anything really. A Dragon Lord normally only reigns for a few centuries before someone else takes over, and while problems arise it mostly seems to work itself out.

And it makes sense that a former Dragon Lord wouldn't start too much trouble, I think they could just force the issue with the power of the Bloodstone Scepter, they don't seem to though. Most former Dragon Lords also don't start conflicts, why wage a war when a former Dragon Lord can just challenge the new Dragon Lord at a later date? It's not like they need to worry about dying of age in the meantime.

Torch blows out some small flames. "I was tired of Brim, he talked and talked but feared fighting others. He was not weak, just cowardly, he would never intervene when others needed a hit to the head." He continues his tale. "One day I bet him some gold in a flying contest, just to show him up a little. He was more confident in his flying skills, he was a good flier and I insulted his pride to get him to agree." He explains as he seems to look off into those memories.

I've noticed that Torch isn't a fool, he likes strength in all forms. Trickery is a valid strategy that several Dragons I've met never seem to really consider, Garble is actually an exception to that funnily enough. "A trap? If you could pick the location or train before it happens you'd be better off." I reason.

He nods enthusiastically. "Yes! He took the bait like a shark with fish guts. He was smart enough to pick the location though, he did not suspect I'd train for it day and night. So in the end I barely beat him in the flight, but he was a bastard and backed out of the bet." He grumbles that last part.

I continue to transcribe the story as he speaks. "I got angry at that and formally challenged him for the crown, and with so many around watching the contest he would be an open coward and deny me." He exclaims with pride and I have to agree it's not the worst strategy to force him into a fight.

Torch continues his story. "He was arrogant and accepted. He fought me on a mountainside for hours, back and forth with wings and claws, but then I rolled a boulder right into his face! It seems we have that in common." I chuckle a bit as it is kind of funny while he laughs like normal. "I used that opportunity to get on top of him, got some good hits in and he finally gave up." He continues.

He moves closer to me and smirks. "I even kicked that bastard right in the slit." He says in a lower voice like he's trying to tell a secret, I spit out my tea trying and failing not to laugh at that. "It was a glorious day indeed! I wish a better fighter would challenge me though, the recent ones have been so boring. Maybe you will take my crown?" He says as a clear joke.

I slowly recover from being completely caught off guard by his words and laughing much harder than before. After I recover I look back up at him, "Sorry to say I have no interest in a crown, any crown actually." He raises a brow. "I'm not good at dealing with others, I find you Dragons are actually much easier to talk to than many Ponies." I give a truthful but vague excuse.

He snorts. "I do not blame you, you Ponies are normally much too nice, no spine." He agrees and tips his crown a bit to adjust it. "It comes with great power, but it is annoying as well. So many always asking about so much, at least your Princess kept things simple." He said with an amused voice.

I tilt my head a bit and look up at his crown. "Now that sounds like a good story, I've heard Larimar mention Her Highness has visited a few times. Never got much information on why though, from what I pieced together I think she was making a deal with you?" I ask pretending to know less than I actually do.

He drinks from his bowl again, really enjoying the fresh water. "It is a good story, I mentioned the one fool with the rock, right?" I nod and flip a page to make more notes. "She came to meet me shortly after I took the crown from Brim, but some fool wished to meet me first." He starts another story.

He thinks for a moment and shrugs. "I don't remember the fool's name, but she got angry at your princess for being there first and meeting me before her. So, the fool tried to breathe fire on your Princess." I feel my body tense a little as the idea of that does make me a little annoyed at such a brazen Dragon. "I watched the fool open their maw and was sent flying right through a rock a second later." He laughs at that and I just smile silently.

I am definitely going to be using this information at a later date. "As for our deal? She lets the migration pass through when needed and we leave her and the Ponies alone, the same deal she'd had with every Dragon Lord for a while now, it's simple. Those Griffon cities still try to make all sorts of deals with me, they make things too damn complicated." He huffs in clear disinterest.

I can see Celestia taking the simple approach with these Dragons, and it seems to have been working well so far. I spend a moment noting a few more things before deciding to try and get some more delicate information. "I also wanted to ask about the Bloodstone Scepter, if you're willing?" I ask in a relaxed tone.

Torch just licks the air with his tongue and stares at me for a moment, his eyes a small bit more narrowed but still calm and relaxed. "I will, but I will not be taking any challenge from you anytime soon if I tell you." I'm a little confused but have no interest in the crown so I nod in agreement. "Good, this is an interesting and ancient tale!" He smiles and starts yet another story.

I raise a brow but let him continue. "Long ago there was the First Dragon Lord, their name lost now. It was said they dug deeper than any Dragon before or since and pulled free the Bloodstone from the earth." He reaches a clawed hand up and taps his crown. "Giving them the power to command all Dragons."

I've never heard this story before, even Larimar didn't mention it. Although Larimar is a Dragon that seems to like facts, not stories, she might have considered this story irrelevant because it is likely untrue. Still, folklore and stories can tell you much of the past, there is a kernel of truth to everything after all.

"The First Dragon Lord reigned, strong and dominant, but another Dragon saw the power of the gem and tried to take it for themselves from The First Dragon Lord's hoard while they slept." He continues and I transcribe every word diligently. "When the Dragon Lord woke to find the thief there, a titanic fight ensued!" He recounts the story, dramatizing his words as he goes.

"The Bloodstone was split in two in the chaos of the fight, the thief taking one half and the First Dragon Lord the other." I can already see the problem that was about to happen in this tale. "War! A war consumed all the Dragon Lands and countless fell on both sides." He adds after a small pause for some suspense.

"In the end, the First Dragon Lord won the war, but only at a great cost in lives, even their mate was said to have died. So the First Dragon Lord set out to ensure that such a thing would never happen again." He takes off his crown and places it in his hand, bringing it a little closer so I can see it. "He carved the Bloodstone into a scepter and used unknown power to change it."

He holds his crown as he continues. "Now, when someone wants to challenge a Dragon Lord, the Dragon Lord must give us his claim to the Bloodstone Scepter." I get a good look at the scepter for a moment as he holds it. "If the Dragon Lord does not give up their claim no one else may command the sceptre's power." He finishes his explanation and puts the crown back on.

For the first time in a while, I speak again. "So you need to sever your connection from it to transfer ownership?" He nods quickly and smiles as I keep up with his story. "Then one of the only things that could force a change of Dragon Lord is a Greed Dragon? The challenges are only voluntary." A few things fall into place for me.

He nods. "Yes, without the challenges a Dragon must earn and keep the right to rule us." He seems to speak from experience. "To become Dragon Lord you must make a challenge and it must be accepted. When the staff glows you know that the Dragon Lord is being honest when they accept the challenge." He explains as I piece it together.

I don't know how something like the Bloodstone Scepter came into existence, but its basic function seems simple enough. A Dragon Lord gives up their connection during a challenge so they can't back out or lie easily, there are also protections against it being taken by force from a Dragon Lord.

There is definitely more to it than that but it explains several things. A Dragon Lord can just refuse all challenges but that doesn't mean they can't be killed in their sleep if the Dragons get angry at them for doing that. There is just enough structure from this to make the Dragon Lord's position stable but not unchangeable or stagnate.

It makes me very curious about the staff, but it's not something I want to go near, you just don't mess with artifacts that powerful unless you have a good reason to. I make more notes and notice I'm running out of pages after the last few weeks. "I'm also going to guess the Bloodstone Scepter can't be split or damaged?" I ask while thinking about the magic that could be behind this thing.

He nods immediately with a knowing smile. "Yes, I like many others, have tried and it remains as durable as us." He laughs a little and looks at me with some curiosity. "What are you going to do with all the things you've learned about us? Most Ponies don't see much of who we are." He again shows some wisdom in his questions.

I think about his words for a long moment, not really finding a good answer. "I might have it published I guess? Let other Ponies understand you all more so there are even fewer problems between us all. Honestly, I haven't given it much thought." I am blunt with my intentions to not offend him by accident.

He raises a brow and gives me a satisfied look. "Good, others can hear our stories, but even for a warrior like you there is danger here, so why do this though? Come here and risk danger for some answers?" He asks me bluntly while I start to flip through the notes I just made to not miss anything.

I shrug, not really having a reason. "I was curious." He laughs a bit at my simple answer and I elaborate. "I heard many things about Dragons but when I tried to look for more information I found basically nothing. So I thought that I could get my own answers, and ask some questions, it's now clear we don't know much about Dragons. It's been an interesting vacation." I am once again honest with him again as I haven't made my reasons a secret to others.

He reaches out a hand and taps the gems shield to stop it from generating water, then he drinks what has collected in the bowl once again with a tooth-filled smirk. "A vacation!" He laughs hard once again at my words. "You really are something else, you act different from any Pony I've met, even the one of the sun was more, pony-like." He makes a blatant statement about me like many others have.

At this point, I'm low on space to write things and I also am a little tired of his very loud voice and attitude, he may be friendly but he is also a lot to deal with. So as I talk I start to pack away my things. "I am different, Larimar was actually the first to really notice. Apparently, I feel like a predator." I give it away, curious to see his reaction.

He goes silent for a long moment as we lock eyes, his eyes narrowing a little as he seemingly searches for something. "She is old, even to me, and she is that old for a good reason. She is strong and skilled, I believe she even challenged a Dragon Lord for the crown once." He doesn't comment on my words, hinting at Larimar's knowledge as if to agree with her.

I nod after a moment and stand up. "It was a pleasure to speak with you Dragon Lord Torch, but I do have to be going." I give a friendly goodbye and excuse myself from the situation. My words seem to snap him out of his intense inspection of me.

He blinks and gives me one last large smile. "You tell good stories, Shade. You make me laugh more than most of these bastards, and you spread our glory to the world!" He motions to the exit with a hand. "If you ever find yourself growing tired of the Ponies again come back, share more good stories." He gives me a surprisingly warm goodbye and an offer for a future visit.

I smile back and nod. "I will, have a good day Dragon Lord Torch." I keep my last words simple before bowing a little bit and turning to leave the large cavern. He watches me for a few moments before turning back to the floating gem next to him with a curious look. I walk down the large stone hallway, my mind busy with many different thoughts.

Author's Note

Thank for reading. :)
Current year is 996

Not too much to say about this one, I thought it would be nice to jut have a mostly casual conversation. I'm not sure this chapter is all the interesting as I couldn't think if that many good topics.

Still, I tried to deepen the world building of the Dragons some to not make it completely boring.