Dragon and his disciple

I've had Scout as my disciple for couple of months and I noticed several things. First is that he doesn't want me or anyone else to see him naked. This has raised several questions on my mind. Why does he do it? Is he hiding something from me? Is he truly a female and just doesn't want others to know? I thought of forcing him to see me, but in the grand scheem of things, it truly doesn't matter. He is mortal after all.

The second thing that I have noticed is that he is very weak willed. He doesn't hold his ground when someone opposes him, so he gets pushed around a lot. I have to teach him to have a little spine on his actions and hold fast. He clearly has a low self esteem.

The third thing is that he isn't trained in any battle style. Now I don't know any specific sword styles, but I know how to improve your physique and every other thing that you need in battle. For this reason I have trained him hard so that he can show me his true strength one day.

I also have found couple of things conserning his heritage. First, his power is prevelent in terms of earth and ice. It might be worth to ask Tiamat some advise. Though I will use it when I'm out of options. Second is that the power he has recieved is something that continues to grow. This is a problem considering the corruptive nature that it has on every demigod. I perhaps need to seal some of his power so that he doesn't get corrupted. Third is that his mother was someone known as the northern wolf god. Scout has told me that she was left in the village when the golems attacked and he haven't heard from her since.

As to how I'm teaching him, I let him use enchanted sword to bash against a boulder. This is to improve his strength. Once he has sliced trough it, I will make him run very long distances. This is to improve his stamina. Once I'm satisfied with his running, we will get into more practical training. The way it will work is that he will try to fight me with his sword and I will make small slashes that will only hurt him, but not kill him. These fights will help him to find a way to use his sword and it will improve his reaction speeds. This will last the longest of all the training.

However, there is a problem. The swordswoman wants to join in this practise. She also wanted to have a way for her and Scout to find each other when they are far away. At first I rejected her proposals, but when Scout insisted on this favor, I caved in and granted them their wish. I let the swordswoman come to practise and I give both the swordswoman and Scout a pair of rings that allows them to communicate no matter how far appart they are just by pouring some mana into the ring. I made it very clear that this is a favor they were asking me and they may have to pay it someday.

Then the months of training passed. Both the swordswoman and Scout have improved drastically. All thanks to my superior training tacticks. They were a bit more complicated than I already explained, but the general idea is there. That and some magic potions here and there. They both have learned some magic as well. Most important magic they learned is of course spacial magic.

We parted ways with the swordswoman and we returned to take on a request. To hunt 8 wolfs. It's a bit harder work for someone who has just started, but I trust my discipline's ability to take on the job. I was watching him from the sidelines on this job. However, Scout received couple of looks from the growd that was on the hunter's guild. He didn't let them bother him, so he moved on.

As I would expect, Scout took on the job without an issue. He slaughtered them with ease. We then returned to the hunter's guild to give up the corpses of the wolfs as proof. The clerk approved the job and gave Scout his earnings, but the people around the hall didn't seem to believe that someone that small could do a job like this. They went towards Scout and stoped him from his tracks. The conversation went as follows.

- Hey little guy, how did you get that many wolfs by yourself?

- I... hunted them.

- Oh really? You seem to think that someone like you can pull that off. Hey guys! This little brat claims that he can beat 8 mountain wolfs!

The rest of the hall started laughing.

- You see? No one believes that you did it legitimately. So where did you get those wolf corpses from?

- From... from the forest.

- Really now? Of course they came from the forest. What I'm asking you is who helped you hunt them?

- I... did it by myself.

- Stop bullshiting me you brat. Who's your contact?

- I... truly did it by myself.

- I'm getting really unpatient with you here. Who's, your, contact!?

- I-I...

- What kind of answer is that?! Tell me your contact and we are done?!

I decide to step in. I have an expencive look on myself as always.

- Excuse me gentlemen? Would you please stop harasing my disciple?

- Huh? Who the heck are you kid?

- Now, now. I may be small, but I'm a full grown adult you see. I'm likely even older than you. In any case, my name is Nier Hreid and I'm a businessman, as well as a fellow hunter myself. This young man over here is my disciple and I can wouch for him doing the job by himself.

- Well then "old man," why should I believe someone as weak looking as you and the boy here could do such a feat?

- I quarantee you that I'm well capable to hunt a dragon or two. And by my estimate, he can also hunt one as well.

- Oh really fancy man?

He grabs a drink from the table and pours it over my head. Oh how dare he?

Scout immediately comes to me and appologises for them prefusely.

- I'm sorry master that it has come to this! Please show mercy towards these men!

- You are asking your master for forgiveness? Huh, what a joke of a duo you two are.

- Please master, they don't know of your briliance.

I answer with a smile. I will forgive them as my disciple asks. I have acted as a normal man after all.

- It's fine Scout. I will not give any punishments for them today. Why don't we go somewhere else for now.

- Hey you two! Don't you dare go anywhere else! That kid and you are both some scam artists who hired some punk to hunt for you! We aren't done yet!

He grabs a glass bottle and attacks me. However, instead of hitting me, Scout takes the blow for me, as to protect me. Now Scout is barely conscious and bleeding heavily from the shatered glass. I heal him as best I can. The blood lost isn't that much, but the hit to the head seriously is making it difficult to stay conscious. The bleeding has stoped and he fell unconscious.

How dare they? He even pleeded for them to make me show them mercy. I was ready to let them go with just insulting me, as I'm acting as a avarage person now, but hurting my dear desciple. How dare they?

- See! That's what happens to people like you! People...

I grab his hand with a bone shatering strength.

- Ow ow ow! What are you...?

- Silence worm.

- I get it! I get it! You are strong. Let me go.

- Didn't you hear me!?

I throw him to the ground and start steping on him.

- You dare to go against MY desciple! Disrespect MY house! And speak slander on MY house's members!

No one dares to move a finger against me. They are all terrified at my aura.

- Worthless worms! This is why you will stay as worms and never accend to a higher being! Unlike Scout has done! He fought hard to get to the rank of a dog! Someone who I granted a permission to call themselfs my desciple! You worms will never be more than worms in your entire life!

A guard came to the hall, but even they couldn't do anything. All were terrified of my presence.

- Now then. Which of you should I kill first?

- Wait master!

- Stay out of this Scout!

- No! Please don't kill anyone! They didn't know who they are dealing with!

- They dared to lay a hand on one of my house's members. This means a proper punishment should be placed. I deem a proper punishment as death.

- Please master! Please!

- Silence! No one disrespects the house Hreid! You are one of the members of it now, so you should act the part! Never let anyone dominate you! Never abide by the rules you don't approve! Never let them disrepect you! Are we clear!

- Ye... Yes.

- Good. Now then...

A simple death wouldn't be enough. I will corrupt him through the power of abyss. He will become a monster in body and soul. Someone who will be just someone's another paycheck.

- Now be cursed you worm!

I cast my abyss magic on him and he squerms in pain.

- Please! Stop! I'm Begging you!

- No more mercy.

His body gets distorted, his mind turns to that of a beast. Now wreck havoc and be killed.

I suppress my aura now and let people handle what just happened. Everyone is now focused on the monster wreaking havoc to the town. He is soon killed by someone who seems to be an high ranking officer. He comes to the hall and asks.

- What happened here?

- I simply showed a worm his place on this world. If it would have escalated to the point where you all couldn't handle it, I would've taken care of it personaly.

- Were it you who gave off that presence?

- I might be so bold as to admit to this claim.

- Then... What do you want from the people here?

- My disciple simply wishes to train by hunting things on the hunter's guild roster. I do not seek anything else from this town for now.

- For now, huh.

- For now.

- Then I will just make a report that a monster appeared suddenly inside the town walls and it was taken care of quickly. Is this enough?

- You sure know how to play this game. It will suffice. Now then Scout, let's go.

We walk a small while in the town, looking for a place for him to stay the night. After all, I don't want to spoil him too much. Scout asks me.

- Was that truly necessary?

- It was. Never let anyone show dominance over you. The way you do so may be your own choice.

- I... understand.

- Good. Now sleep in this inn for the night. Next day, do any hunting job that you wish and continue to do those jobs and live your live in this town as you see fit. I will tell you when you do something else.

- Understood.

- Now then.

I teleport away to my treasury.

And so Scout spent couple of months in that town. The time spent in that town has made him more serious and stirn. As far as I can tell, no one is budding heads with him and he simply minds his own business. I will soon inform him that he will move to a next location.

When that day came, Scout packed the little things he owns and we moved to a town southwest of here. That town was in close proximity to the forest of Ehen. There he hunted the beasts of that forest and live his life. This would continue for couple of months also.

After clear improvement on his skills, I decided that it would be time for him to hunt some serious prey. My own kin. So we moved to southern islands of Ihm and there I made him wonder and kill any beast he sees and survive. There I let him stay for two years. I would come and talk with him occasionally and see what his proses was. During these meetings I would try to delve to the depths of his soul and see what secrets his power holds. I told him that I would do this and he agreed, not like he had any other options. I told about my findings and decided to teach him some spells that he should be skilled as. His power increased drastically and he started to make me tremble a bit. I could still take care of him easily, but if I would be as so careless as to let my guard down, he could do some serious damage to me.

During these two years, he learned the language of the land and started communing with the locals. While this wasn't on my plans, I should let him have some freedom. At first I was against him communing with the locals, but I saw it that the illusion of freedom he thought he had should make him bit more co-operative. This freedom didn't get in the way of his training and he killed many dragons in his time there. Perhaps Tiamat will be angered if I told her what my desciple was doing in Ihm.

One of the days I visited him, he seemed to be in good spirits at first. But when I entered, he became serious again and asked for the purpose of my visit. I kind of miss his old naivety, but it's good that he shows respect to his master. I told him.

- I simply came here to check on you.

- Aren't you able to just look at me remotely?

- That is indeed what I do often, but I wish to have a talk with you every now and then.

- With all due respect, it seems kind of unnecessary.

- Perhaps it is. What was your plan today?

- I plan to escort some farmers towards the city that is quite the way to go by horseback.

- Why do you choose to help these people.

- They have treated me kindly, so I thought on giving them this favor. If it weren't for me, they would have to wait for an escort to come from the city and pay for their servises. I get paid some lux out of this, if you were wondering.

- Good. It's not wise to do a job and return empty handed.

- But sometimes it is inevitable.

- That depends what you do when they hold your pay for no good reason.

- And sometimes the job just doesn't get done to the satisfaction.

- You can always get something if you do something about it.

- Not all people will like it though.

- That's their problem.

- Did you need anything else?

- How has your training on your natural talents gone?

- I have learned how to make the air cold and the ground slipery for others. Of course I can make ice spears and ice arrows should I choose. I can also raise the ground rock to the surface if I try hard enough.

- That is some solid progress. But with your potential, you could make a blizzard and make a canyon with your powers.

- I don't know if I ever would actually need to do any of that, but I will still practice.

- Good. I'm sure your mother would be proud of you.

- And how would you know? You didn't know my mom.

- Who wouldn't be proud of their child becoming strong?

- Mom wasn't like that. She wanted me to live in peace.

- What is peace if you can't protect it when the time comes? Foolishness and ignorance, that's what peace is to a common folk.

- Yet they can be happier than people who try to protect the peace. I want to be a person who can keep people having peacefull lives.

- You start to sound like one of my daughters.

- Thanks.

- That wasn't a compliment.

- Oh. What was she like?

- Someone who valued mortal lives as if they were worth her time.

- Oh right, you don't value mortal lives.

- You shouldn't grow too attached to them either. Even if you are part mortal, you are also something higher. Someone who can change people's destinies in a flick of a finger. All you need to do is grow stronger and you can take their pitifull lives as if they were your own.

- What if I don't want to?

- Then you have wasted your potential. You are a demigod. Someone who can lead people to greater hights. If you can't take their lives away, you can't help them survive either. Do you seek power?

- For myself? No.

- Then you're a fool who sits near the ocean of opportunities. If you don't have power to do something, you have no chances of living in this world.

- Didn't expect you to take that kind of turn.

- If you have power to do something, you can live you live peacefully if you so choose. Your path should be something different, but if you don't have power to create something or a power to bring something to the world, you are hopeless fool who can't even comprehend what is on the horizon. I don't think that you should live that kind of life and that you should focus on gaining the power to destroy your enemies. If you live long enough, and as a demigod age is not an issue, you will have enemies. One way or another.

- I'm but your disciple. So I will follow the path you set for me.

- The spark of life that was in you has clearly faded. I appreciate your detication, but the spark that you had back then is something that's missing.

- Maybe because I've been forced to live by your principles.

- Is that how you see it? I only seek for you to have the power to make your place in this world. As a dragon, I don't know much of anything other than might, so I give you the guidance that will lead you to that path. But as a dragon lord of avarice, I give you the power of making your own path that you can follow. Make your place in this world.

- Within your principlines of course.

- Obviously. You have what it takes to lead people with your might. Now you need to know of a different approach to lead your people. That is why I will teleport you later to a place where I trust you will get the best education. Something that even I can't provide.

Still, I am at a loss of why am I showing this mortal such kindness. What is pushing me to teach him things that will give him a chance to rule a nation? Why is that? Is it some kind of spell that I'm unable to take off? And if it is a spell, then where did it come from. Did someone cast me with something, or did someone cast something on Scout to make me act this way? Whatever the case, I shall play the role of a master for now. We'll see what comes of it.

- Well, thank you master.

- I'll give you two weeks to prepare for departure to Tian.

- Tian? Where is that?

- Far east in the continent of Arutos. You will have to learn another language as well when you get there. Your teacher will help you along the way.

- Okay then. I will wait for that day to come.

- Make sure you wrap everything in here to the point that you may leave with peace in your heart.

What am I even saying?

- Yes. I will do just that.

- Good.

Then I leave for couple of weeks to my lair. I did some business while I'm waiting, and my wealth is just growing. When the two weeks had gone, I fetched Scout and brought him to where Lóng told me to bring him. He told me to come back at latest in three years if not sooner. I trust his ability to teach, so I leave Scout unsupervised by me for three years, and when I come back, some life has gotten back to his eyes. He's starting to look like an adult. I still have a nagging feeling that he might not be a male. Damn this feeling! I went to drink some wine with Lóng and Scout to know better how these years have gone for him. Lóng started.

- It was a good choice to bring him here. He had the wit to outclass some of my top students when he got to understand our language and writing system. He truly has talent.

- As expected of the person who I call my desciple.

- You made a great cath brother. If I would have been told that you take a mortal human as your desciple one day back in those days, I would have just thought that they were joking.

- It is strange, isn't it.

- Yes, quite.

- So, have you found out anything new about his circumstances?

- Some little things here and there. But nothing that is worth telling you.

- If I find out that you're hiding something crucial from me, we are going to have a problem in the future.

- No need to make such threats. I would tell you if it was important.

- I choose to trust my little brother.

- Thank you.

- And now I ask one question that I thought a lot.

- What is it brother?

- How much was he bullied?

- So you are just asuming that he was bullied, huh.

- Am I wrong?

- Well, yes, he was bullied in many types of ways.

- Such as?

- Throwing his stuff out the window. Insulting him. Physical violence. Stuff that gets stolen. All kinds of stuff.

- And did you do anything?

- I did what I could, but the hostile aura never went away.

- I see.

- Then Scout, do you have anything you'd like to say?

Scout looks me with a serious face and asks me.

- Can I become one of the rulers of the north of Ehstos?

- So you are prepared to take that kind of responsibility then?

- I am.

- Then all you need to do is get the approval of people that decide that kind of thing, Toros is the country that currently controls the north, so you'd have to take it to them.

- I figured that I would have to do that first. But how do I get their approval.

- First you need powerfull "friends." Then you need wealth. And then you need prestige. Go around Toros and figure out yourself. I'm sure you learned many things here that will help you in your journey.

- Got it. Thank you master.

- Are you ready to depart today or will it be later?

- I need to sort out couple of things here first, then I'm ready. I think three days will be enough.

- I see. I will come to pick you up when the time comes.

- Thank you master.

- And brother.

Lóng asks.

- What is it?

- Thank you for taking care of my desciple.

- I take that as a great honor. You rarely give any thanks. And how was the wine?

- It had a pleasant taste. Now then. See you later.

I teleport to my lair and I spend three day doing my thing. Then I picked up Scout and helped him to find a way to build up a community. I have little experience on this, so I can guide him a bit.

In five years time, I heard that Scout has become a leader of many villages that were built in northern parts of Ehstos.

Couple of years later, I heard that he has managed to be recoqnised as a leader of a country. The country's name is Drakedom. I fine name that has a word of a dragon in it. It has slowly gained the authority to use the land that once belonged to a northern most country in Ehstos. I heard that he has a kid, but he wouldn't tell me with who. The mystery still lingers. He let me choose a name for his next kid, which I chose to be Nielgir or Hildyrin.

He has gained a lot of followers and built a stable economy in those regions. I made it very clear that if any dragon would go there causing trouble, I would personaly take good care of them in their last moments. This is my desciple's country, so I will see that it won't be destroyed by my kind.

This all has made me feel like I was a proud father or something. Which is nonesense in my opinion and I could never feel that way for a mortal. It just makes me think of my family. Has my heart grown softer perhaps? I need to get a hold of myself or my place as the eldest will be brought to question. It's just perhaps... perhaps I should visit Käärmähät.