Standing Still
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The first thing I noticed was the smell. It wasn’t a bad smell, but it didn’t have any particular odor to it either. There were no odors in this world at all that I could detect. The only things I smelled were the air itself and whatever my body produced as waste products.
So when I inhaled deeply, there really weren’t many scents to be had. But something about this place seemed different from what I’d experienced before. And then I realized why: the air here felt like it was moving. Like it was alive with some sort of energy.
I stood still for several minutes, just breathing slowly and trying to get used to the sensation. Then I tried walking around. My legs moved smoothly beneath me without having to think about them—like they knew exactly where to go on their own.
As I walked, the ground underfoot changed subtly, becoming smoother or rougher depending upon how much pressure I put down. When I stopped again, the feeling went away almost immediately.
It’s not that I couldn’t move; it was more like I had been given an extra sense. A sixth one, if you will. Something akin to proprioception, perhaps? Or maybe kinesthesia? Whatever the case, I found myself able to walk in a way that I never could have done before. Not even after years of practice. This was a natural movement.
But what did it mean? Why was I suddenly so aware of my surroundings? Was this another side effect of being a god? Another gift bestowed by the gods themselves? If so, I would need to keep a close eye on my powers. They might grow out of control if left unchecked.
As I pondered these questions, I happened across someone who looked somewhat familiar. He was standing alone near the edge of the forest, staring into space. His back was turned toward me, but he must have sensed me approaching because his head snapped up and our eyes met.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, neither saying anything. Finally, he broke the silence. “You’re him.”
“Yes,” I said simply.
He nodded once, then started walking toward me. I kept pace with him until we reached the center of town, where we both stopped in front of the same building. The man opened the door and stepped inside, leaving me outside. I followed suit and entered the inn.
For a few moments, nobody spoke. We merely sat together in silence while I took everything in. There were two doors leading off the main room. One led to the kitchen, which was bustling with activity. The second was locked, presumably containing the rooms upstairs.
Beyond those, I saw a staircase leading upward. To the right, there was a small bar serving drinks and snacks. Behind it stood the bartender, who greeted us with a smile.
“Welcome to the Golden Oak Inn!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “What can I get you today?”
I glanced over at the man next to me. “Do you want anything?”
“No thanks,” he replied.
She smiled again. “Well, there are plenty of seats available. Feel free to grab a table wherever you like.”
I thanked her and headed toward a nearby booth. Once seated, I surveyed the rest of the room. There were three other people sitting at tables, all of whom appeared to be travelers. Two men and a woman. All of them wore simple clothes, though the women’s outfits were a bit fancier than the men’s. I guessed that they were probably nobles from somewhere else in the kingdom.
There was also a group of six soldiers standing against the wall at the far end of the room, talking quietly among themselves. They were dressed in full armor, complete with helmets. Their weapons hung from their belts, and each carried a shield strapped to his arm.
These were obviously members of the Royal Guard, judging by their uniforms. I wondered whether they had come to this town specifically to protect the king.
After a few minutes, the bartender returned to take my order. She asked me what I wanted to drink, then brought me a mug of ale. I paid her and took a sip. It tasted good, but nothing special. I decided to leave it at that and ordered another round.
When my third mug arrived, I finally got the chance to speak to the man beside me. “So, do you live here?”
“Not yet,” he replied.
We continued to talk for a little while longer, but eventually, the conversation died out. Afterward, I finished my beer and set the empty mug aside. Then I made a quick stop at the bar to pay for the drinks. By now, I was starting to feel tired. I’d spent most of the day traveling, and I hadn’t slept well last night either. So I figured I should try to get some sleep soon.
I stood up and began heading toward the stairs when I heard a voice call out behind me. “Hey! Wait!”
I paused and turned around. The man from earlier was standing in the doorway. “Are you going upstairs?” he asked.
“Yeah. Do you mind?”
“Go ahead.”
I climbed the steps and found myself in a large bedroom. A bed, a desk, a wardrobe—everything seemed to be exactly as advertised. I walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains. Outside, the sun was setting. I watched it disappear below the horizon, then closed the shutters.
The man emerged from the hallway and joined me by the window. “Did you find your room okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Now, let me ask you something. Have you ever seen a dragon before?”
“A real one?”
He nodded. “That’s right. You’ve never seen a true dragon, have you?”
I shook my head. “Never.”
“Have you ever even heard of dragons?”
Again, I shook my head.
He sighed. “It’s not surprising. Most people haven’t. But I suppose you could say that I am an expert on the subject.”
“Why is that?”
He gave me a wry smile. “Because I know more about dragons than anyone else alive.”
***
“You’re joking, right?” I asked incredulously.
“Of course, I’m not kidding.” He laughed. “Now, let me ask you something. What do you think dragons look like?”
“Um… big, winged creatures? With scales and horns and stuff?”
“Exactly. And how many different kinds of dragons do you think to exist?”
“Uh…”
“Right. Exactly. In fact, there are only four types of dragons known to humans: fire, ice, lightning, and wind. That’s it. No others.”
“But why would there just be those four?” I asked.
“That’s easy. Because if there were any more, we’d already know about them. Dragons are very rare. We don’t see them often because they tend to stay away from human settlements. Plus, they’re pretty hard to spot once they fly off into the distance.
Even if someone does manage to catch a glimpse of one, it’s usually too dark or cloudy to make out much detail. Not to mention that most people who encounter a dragon will die almost instantly.”
I stared at him blankly. “Wait, so you mean… you actually saw a real dragon?”
“Yes. Several times.”
“How did you survive?”
“Oh, I didn’t kill it. I captured it instead.”
“What?!”
His expression grew serious. “Don’t worry; I won’t tell you where I found it. Just trust me when I say that it wasn’t anywhere near here.”
“Okay…”
“Anyway, I’ve been studying dragons for years now. I’ve learned everything there is to know about them. I can identify every species, and I’ve read all the books written about them.”
“And you still believe that there aren’t any other types of dragons?”
“Absolutely. There’s no way there could be. If there were, I would have discovered them by now. But I haven’t. Which means that the only kind of dragons left are those four.”
“If you really knew everything there was to know about dragons, wouldn’t you realize that you’re wrong?”
“I thought about that,” he said with a sigh. “But I’ve come to terms with it. I’m sure you understand how difficult this must sound, coming from me. But I assure you, I’m telling the truth. All of it.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense,” I admitted. “Still, you seem awfully confident about this. Why?”
“Because I’ve done my research. I’ve studied ancient texts, and I’ve spoken to countless experts. They all agree that the only type of dragons left in existence are those four.”
“So what happens if you’re wrong?”
“Then I’ll be proven right. And I don’t care which side wins. As long as I’m right, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“No. It isn’t.”
“Is there anything else you want to ask me?”
“Just one thing.”
“Name it.”
“Where did you get this place?”
“This house?” He smiled. “It belonged to a friend of mine. She died a few months ago.”
“She owned this whole mansion?”
“It’s quite large.”
“Wow. So she must have been rich.”
“Not really. Her husband had money, but not her. She never worked a day in her life. The only reason they lived like royalty was because of his wealth.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It is. Unfortunately, they both passed away within weeks of each other. Their deaths were tragic, and their families couldn’t afford to maintain the property. Eventually, it fell into disrepair. When I heard about it, I decided to buy it.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I wanted somewhere quiet to live while I continued my study of dragons.”
“You own a lot of land around here, don’t you? You probably have enough space to build your own little dragon sanctuary.”
“Perhaps someday.”
“What about the rest of the world? Do you plan on living alone forever?”
“I don’t intend to ever leave this area again. I don’t need to. My work is done.”
“Your work?”
“The same thing I’ve been doing since I was young. Studying dragons.”
“Are you going to write another book?”
“Maybe,” he replied vaguely. “Who knows?”
“Will you tell me about it?”
“Not today.”
“Okay.”
We walked back through the forest until we reached the road. From there, we headed south toward the city. After walking for several minutes, I finally realized something.
“Hey, wait! Where are you taking me?”
“To the capital.”
“Why?”
“Because I promised to take you home.”
“Home?” I repeated. “What do you mean, ‘home’?”
“My house. In the kingdom.”
“That sounds pretty far away!”
“It’s not too bad. We should reach it before nightfall.”
***
After leaving the woods behind us, we began climbing up a steep hill. Soon, the trees disappeared altogether, replaced by a thick carpet of grass. A few minutes later, we emerged onto a wide plateau. At its center stood an enormous castle. Its walls were made of stone, and its towers rose high above our heads.
“Incredible…” I breathed.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “This is my home. The royal palace.”
“Wait… Is that really your house?”
“Of course it is.”
“How big is it? How many rooms does it have?”
“There are hundreds of rooms inside. Thousands, even. This entire building is bigger than most towns.”
“Impressive.”
As I stared at the magnificent structure, he led me across the field toward a gatehouse. Once we got there, he opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” he said with a smile.
His home was unlike any place I’d seen before. It reminded me of the castles I used to see in movies, except much grander. The hallways were lined with paintings, tapestries, and statues. Each room held a different theme: some featured portraits of kings or queens, others had pictures of animals, and still more showed scenes from nature.
There were also dozens of bookshelves filled with old volumes, along with numerous desks piled high with papers. Everywhere I looked, I saw expensive-looking furniture, fine artwork, and ornate decorations. Everything was so clean and well maintained. Even though the place was huge, it didn’t feel crowded. Instead, it felt warm and inviting.
“This is amazing,” I marveled. “Didn’t I hear that you’re a prince?”
“Indeed. That’s why I can afford such a lavish lifestyle.”
“But how come nobody else lives here?”
“Everyone who works for me has their own homes outside the palace grounds. They stay there during the weekdays, then return every weekend to spend time with me.”
“Oh, okay. So this is where you live when you aren’t working.”
“Correct. I prefer to keep everything simple, so I don’t mind living alone.”
“So what exactly do you do all day?”
He laughed. “I usually spend my days reading and writing. Occasionally, I go out to talk to people, but that doesn’t happen very often anymore.”
“Do you have friends?”
“A few. But I’m not close to anyone.”
“Is that normal for someone as rich and powerful as you?”
“No. Most princes are surrounded by servants who cater to their every whim. And yet, I rarely interact with them either.”
“Huh. What about your parents? Are they still alive?”
“They died long ago.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. Their deaths gave me the opportunity to pursue my studies without being bothered by the responsibilities of royalty.”
“Does that make sense?”
“Well, yes and no. Yes, because I could focus on my research, which allowed me to become a better scholar. No, because I never knew them anyway. They left me when I was just a baby.”
“Wow…”
“And now I’m free to enjoy life however I please.”
“You sound like you’ve been hurt in the past.”
“Perhaps. But I refuse to let those events define me. I need only look forward, not backward.”
“Good for you.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, I heard that you’re a sorcerer.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Can I ask why you became one?”
“Because I wanted to learn magic.”
“Really? Why?”
“I don’t know. I guess I thought it would help me solve mysteries.”
“Hmm… You’re certainly ambitious.”
“Thanks.”
“Anyway, I suppose it’s about time we get started,” he said. “Come with me.”
We walked down another hallway until we reached a large wooden door. He knocked three times, then waited for a response. After a moment, the door swung open, revealing a beautiful woman wearing a white dress. She smiled brightly as she greeted him.
“Hello, Prince Aleksandr! Welcome back!”
“Hi, Lina. Thank you for seeing us today.”
“My pleasure. Please, come in.”
The two of them entered the room, then closed the door behind them. As soon as they did, I stepped into the doorway and watched them walk over to a table in the corner. The princess sat down first, then turned to face her husband.
“Now, tell me again what happened,” she instructed.
“Very well. We were walking through the forest when we came upon an abandoned village. Upon closer inspection, I realized that something strange was going on. A lot of people were missing, and the villagers seemed nervous.”
“What kind of things?”
“Mostly food. They had plenty of houses, but almost none of them contained any supplies. In fact, most of the buildings were empty and covered in cobwebs.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It sure does. Plus, I noticed that several of the windows had been broken, and some of the doors appeared to have been forced open.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Yeah. It wasn’t safe at all. I told my wife to wait here while I went inside to investigate.”
“And what happened next?”
“I found a small cottage near the edge of town. Inside, I discovered a young boy hiding under a bed. When I asked him if he’d seen his family, he replied that they were gone. Then he ran away from me.”
“How old was he?”
“About ten years old.”
“Did you see anything else?”
“Not really. There weren’t many other clues around the house. Just a couple of suitcases, a few books, and a set of clothes.”
“Anything else stands out?”
“There was a diary lying on the ground nearby. It looked like it belonged to the kid, but I didn’t read it right away.”
“Why not?”
“I figured it might contain important information, so I decided to take it home instead.”
“Smart idea. So how did you find it?”
“When I got back to my carriage, I took a closer look at the book. That’s when I noticed there was blood on its cover.”
“Blood?!”
“Yes. Red stains covered the entire thing. I think whoever wrote this must have bled to death.”
“Oh, dear…”
“Indeed. I can’t imagine what happened to the poor child.”
“But you did manage to rescue him, right?”
“Yes. Once I calmed him down, I convinced him to stay with me until I could bring him to safety.”
“So that’s where you brought him?”
“Yes. I took him to my estate, then sent word to the king.”
“And what happened after that?”
“He summoned me to the castle, along with the boy. I explained everything to the king, and he ordered me to keep searching for his family. I promised that I would do whatever it takes.”
The End