OOC – Ok, time to get this show on the road. We can iron out more details as we go along. One of the advantages of 1-vs-1 is that we can easily backtrack if really needed. I’ll be a bit vague with local descriptions and local colour, enough to set the scene, but also (hopefully) vague enough that you can put your mark (or claw) on the scene. I’m also making an assumption, your people know you are their princess-dragon.

Spring had come early. Not that this much north spring was full of lovely colours, or of bees working, or even with sounds of birds chirping, it mostly meant the rains would stop for a while, temperatures would rise marginally and the lambing season would start. Oh, it also meant merchant caravans would start arriving. The customary spring celebrations would happen and people would be in a generally better mood.

This year the mood was a bit different. People were used to dragons. One could even say, they were partial to them. But recently, there were confused sightings. Some said it was a dragon, some said it was monster from the deep reaches of the most horrendous hells. Those less prone to hyperbole simple noted that it did look like a dragon. When one could see it that is. It often showed itself as a sort of dense mist. Since it was most often seen during the night this only confused matters.

So far, there had been no attacks, or even threats, it just circled, meaningly over a certain area, before showing up over another area on a different night. It’s most powerful effect was that it was getting on people’s nerves. It was quite unsettling to find yourself walking under a misty monster shaped like a dragon. Goes without saying, the first sightings caused some panic, which has now subdued. But grumblings are starting on what is this things, this dark cloud that hovers over them. Since it’s Spring, the most hopeful started to say that royal wedding bells would soon start to sound. Fantasy, of course, trumping reality. Or was it?

Putting the peasantry aside there was no denying that, with ever more frequent sightings, something would need to be done about it. Having a dragon leader tended to keep most faiths away, but the few faiths that had temples had already made their worries known. Inevitably they envisaged the end of the known world if a contribution was not made to their temple. This time even if no contributions were made they may just be right that there was something odd here.

On your side, you had never actually seen the misty dragon shaped thingy. Until today. For the first time, there it was, it almost looked like it was stopped in mid-air. Also, you could swear, it was looking at you.

OOC: Ironing out details as we play is fine by me. I'll try to fill in details as it becomes appropriate to do so and I think of them. Thank you again for running this for me and reaching out to me. Much love! <3

Also, that assumption is fine with me.

I loved this time of year. It was still frigid and cold, which excited me. Heat was in my blood; I was, after all, a fire dragon. That madethe cold interesting, a challenge to overcome, and one that could be beaten simply. Cold made home feel cozy, with a crackling fire and plenty of blankets. And a good book, too! The last one was too expensive for most people though. On the other hand, the beginning of spring was also a time of hope and joy for the humans I had come to take as my own people. They were, for the most part, happy and smiling this time of year. I looked forward to the festivals and games, too, though I didn't participate often anymore. It wasn't a fair contest; even in my human guise, I was stronger, faster, and tougher than any of them. So I have become content to watch and enjoy the spectacle, then give a kiss to the champions. I did still love to play tables, cards, and dice though. Especially tafl!

Unfortunately, this year was sullen. That's not right; spring is supposed to be a wondrous time of merriment. Or something like that. If I was being honest with myself, and I suppose I should have been, I was bristling at the idea of another dragon moving in on my territory. Mine! No touchy!

I hold court on the second and fifth days of the week. Most nobles only hold court once a week, if that often, and of those that do, they often forget that the purpose of court is to do one's duty to one's people: to hear cases and see to the administration of justice. When I'm not doing that, I sometimes fly, or walk, around my territory and let the people see me. I smile and greet them pleasantly. Occasionally, I even help out with heavy labor; since I am both much bigger than the humans and can fly, I can carry, in a day, what would normally take a hundred men three months to move.

Aside from my dragon-ness, there were sometimes murmurings that I was a little odd. First of all, why would human nobility, my late mother and father, have raised a dragon's egg, instead of having children of their own? Second, I didn't take to many of the typical noble pursuits, such as hunting or fashion; learning and books were far more to my taste. Hunting was terribly boring because I had to wait around and do nothing for hours!

The people gave me gifts and said they loved me. They were happy to see me, or so it seemed. I wondered, often, how much of that was genuine and how much was fear, knowing I was, in fact, a particularly large, physically powerful dragon and that I might eat them at any moment. I would never eat my own people, of course. Unless they were criminals. Exeuctions are popular venues in every realm, but they were even moreso in mine; everyone wanted to see the great dragon lady chomp down on and swallow a condemned criminal in one bite. I felt guilty that they tasted so good and I looked forward to the occasions so much.

I stopped my musing and halted in my tracks, confronted by the dragon-mist-thingy. I was wearing my human body, so I had to look up at it.

I decided to try being friendly. I have a strong, clear, resonant voice, of average pitch for a woman. In my dragon shape, my voice is higher than usual, and humans have commented before that they think I sound like a very large person.

"Hello, traveler. I am Ataraxia, lady of this land. Will you tell me your name and why you are here?"

OOC : My pleasure! I think this can be an interesting game.

The dragon, and you could now clearly see that even if it had a fuzzy misty composition, it was indeed shaped like a dragon, stretched his neck to peer closer. He seemed to be focusing to see you better. He also seemed to mutter something, but the sound of his voice was rather faint and you cannot perceive the words correctly.

He circles over you a couple of times and then flies away, returning moments after, only to fly away again. It seems he’s wanting you to follow him.

Having no pressing matters to attend, I shrugged and changed. Shapeshifting is mildly uncomfortable, especially when I wore clothes, since the fabrics and metals merged with my dragon-shape as my physical presence expanded. I was tall, strong, sleek, and beautiful as a human, and I am the same as a dragon. Though I did not yet know it, I am both much larger and more lean and muscular than a typical dragon. In the future, when I became aware of that fact, I would ascribe my greater size and strength to better nutrition than other dragons have in their growing phase; noble lords and ladies have casual access to much more food than even a dragon can hunt.

I ran a few steps, leapt, and took flight, following the mist-dragon. At the very least, I would have liked to figure out how to get it to stop bothering my people.

The dragon looks back to make sure you are following and then shoots off at an unbelievable speed towards the west. (OOC: roughly in the direction of the Spine of the World mountains)

Probably after realizing you could never hope to follow him at that speed, you suddenly see it flying back towards you and then turning west again, this time at a pace you can follow. He's clearly hoping to continue to be followed.

OOC - if you try to approach him he's just speed away, he clearly is not interested in talking, merely in being followed... will you keep following him?

ooc: Sure, why not?