Chapter:1 The Dragons Heart
Five hundred years ago, the world did not fear armies or plagues. It feared Valdos.
He was a calamity wrapped in scales. A dragon so large that when he slept, nations thought it was a mountain range. When he woke, kingdoms burned.
For a century, the bravest warriors of the Human Alliance marched to his peak.
Paladins in shining armor? Melted into slag.
Archmages with forbidden spells? Swallowed whole.
Assassins with poisoned daggers? Crushed under a single claw without Valdos even opening his eyes.
He was invincible. He was bored. He was lonely.
Until she arrived.
The sun was high when the lone figure walked into his lair. She didn't wear golden armor. She wore simple leather, battered and stained. She didn't carry a magic staff. She held a single, chipped sword.
Valdos rose, his shadow covering the sky, ready to vaporize her with a breath of fire.
Roar—
The fire died in his throat.
As the smoke cleared, he saw her face. Her eyes were fierce, burning with a determination brighter than any gold he hoarded. Her hair whipped in the wind like a banner of war.
Thump.
For the first time in a thousand years, the Dragon's heart skipped a beat.
She is… magnificent, Valdos thought.
He didn't attack. He couldn't. His limbs felt heavy, not from magic, but from awe. He just stared, mesmerized, as she charged.
Slash!
Her sword cut through his "impenetrable" scales. Pain flared in his chest, but Valdos didn't roar. He just watched her move—graceful, lethal, perfect.
Slash! Slash!
Blood rained down like a waterfall. Valdos fell to his knees, the ground shaking. He didn't fight back. He didn't want to hurt her.
If I were human… the thought drifted through his dying mind. If I were small and soft like them… could I have walked beside her? Could I have held her hand instead of crushing her world?
The great dragon lowered his head, surrendering to the tiny warrior.
The woman panted, wiping sweat from her brow. She walked up to his massive, dying eye. She didn't gloat. She looked… respectful.
"You have to at least know the name of the hero who defeated you," she whispered, raising her sword for the final blow. "I am [Hero's Name]. Goodbye, Great One."
Schlck.
Darkness took him.
Time lost its meaning. It could have been hours. It could have been centuries.
Valdos floated in a cold, silent void. Until suddenly—
Thud.
He landed on a floor of polished obsidian. He tried to spread his wings, but he couldn't feel them.
"You died foolishly, Dragon."
The voice vibrated through his very soul. Valdos looked up. Floating above him was a massive White Entity, a shifting mass of divine light without a face.
"I did not fight," Valdos rumbled—or tried to. His voice felt strange. "I found… something more important."
"You found regret," the Entity corrected. "You wished to be human. You wished to love."
The Entity descended, hovering inches from Valdos.
"I have a proposition. I require an agent. A 'Cleaner' for the mess that is coming to this world. If you agree to help me when the time comes… I will grant your final wish."
Valdos didn't hesitate. "I will do it. Anything. Make me human."
The Entity seemed to smile, though it had no mouth. "Very well. Live your happy life, Valdos. But remember… when I call, you answer."
SNAP.
The world exploded in blinding white light.
Cold.
Why was it so cold?
And loud. A terrible, shrieking noise was piercing his ears.
Make it stop! Valdos tried to roar. I am the Calamity! Silence this noise!
But instead of a roar, a tiny, wet gurgle came out of his throat.
"Waaaaaah! Waaaaaaah!"
Valdos opened his eyes. The world was blurry. Giant shapes were looming over him.
"It's a boy!" a giant voice boomed. "Look at those lungs! He's a fighter!"
Valdos blinked. A face appeared in front of him—a human man, grinning with tears in his eyes, looking at Valdos with pure adoration.
Valdos tried to stand up. His legs were useless jelly. He tried to breathe fire. He drooled.
Wait.
Tiny hands.
No scales.
Helpless.
The realization hit the former Dragon Lord like a falling mountain.
I am a baby.
I AM A HUMAN BABY!
"WAAAAAAH!" Valdos screamed in horror.
"Aww, he's hungry," the father cooed, poking Valdos's soft cheek.
I am not hungry! I am Valdos the Destroyer! Unhand me, mortal!
But all that came out was a burp