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Royal Adventures!
Sitting alone at the inn, a man waits for his family. His cane is wretched and gnarled, and he is alone. He has been here for days. His family are, regrettably, dead. As I approached the blind man he does not falter or cringe at my presence. He does not even notice me. I flare a spark at him, almost as a nudge on the shoulder, and he leaps from his chair and surmounts a battle position. I was struck one, twice, thrice, four times with his cane, before he attempted to strike me down. I escaped, gravely injured.
That night, I cried, for the first time in years. Not from the agonizing pain, but the humiliation of being defeated by him. I stumbled upon a cave, where I slept. In the morning, my wounds were healed, as expected, but my pride was not. I returned, once again, to the inn, and attempted to speak to the man. He was still at the same table, almost waiting for me. I stuck a battle position and flared my breath at him. He dodged, as last time, but when he lunged with his cane, I was able to dodge. I began to feel my scales form while I fought him. Finally, after 2 hours of nonstop shadow-boxing, I managed to land a blow. My obsidian-black, scaly claw stabbed deep into an open chest cavity. The blood cooled my hand as it rushed past, and it seemed like it was now, or never. I grabbed his beating heart from within this almost lifeless shell, severed the ties, and pulled it from him. He fell to the ground, his crimson fluid staining the hardwood floor. I was at last the victor. My pride restored, I returned to my tower, claiming his cane as a trophy. My first trophy in this new planet, to be one of a future many.
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