Ch.35

(Talrit POV)

As I did all the things I believe I could do this 'Ghost Grass' and poured my magic into it, I learned a decent amount about it. First, it was not a natural grass in any way, nor was it something that could provide substance to those that eat grass. This grass was made from magic, dark magic, that permeated the lands. Where this dark magic came from or if it still was being actively used was unknown to me.

Though that would explain the heavy unmoving fog above the mountains, the extreme darkness, and the eerie grass. Nor have I felt or seen any life around me in hundreds of miles. The only sound was the wind blowing through the grass and mountains. This place gave me a dreadful feeling and the longer I spend here the less at peace I feel.

'This place is filled with dark energy… my clan must be very wary of this place and avoid it at all costs for now,' I think to myself as I look around and plan on inspecting this place as much as possible.

As I slowly made my way through the mountains that make up the Shadow Lands, I commit everything to memory. I make a map of it in my head, that way if I ever need to come back to this place I know where everything once was. As I fly further into the Shadow Lands, I can feel life roaming around the mountains.

As I go to inspect it while casting invisibility on myself to not alert them of my presence. I see a group of small humanoids that I recognize as 'Duergar' the species of dwarf that lived in the 'Underdark' from my old world. They were currently in a battle with a very large creature that appeared like an orge but was corrupted by the dark magic in the area. Making it a mindless beast instead of a semi-intelligent species.

After seeing that 'Duergar' and possibly other beings that lived in the 'Underdark' are in this world. I left the group to continue my exploration, as Duergar are not good in any way. They are a very angry and spiteful race of dwarves as most hate all beings outside their race. Though an extremely rare amount is probably not 'evil' like the rest, though the majority are a group of angry little men.

Now that I am in the heart of this land, I can see all the creatures that call this place home. Beings that are inherently 'evil' and hold little to no love for anything outside their own kind, sometimes not even then. Things like fiends, half-demons, monsters of all kinds, and even some undead roam the lands in forever torment.

From my knowledge only two cities are in this land, one is an abandoned ruin once called 'Stygai' which even the ones who call this evil place home avoid. The only other city that is inhabited is called 'Asshai' where the men called 'Shadow Men' reside. I begin to make my way to the inhabited city, though I suspect the Duergar have a city/fortress somewhere, but it will be underground.

Though as I pass the ruined city below me I stop and look down spotting a dragon. As I sensed draconic energy and this energy is not something I ever sensed before. Though I instinctively knew this type of dragon was nighter chromatic or metallic, but a 'planar' dragon. A very rare type of true dragon that lives in one of the planes outside the 'Prime Material plane' which is where most living beings reside.

As I looked down I saw a giant 'shadow dragon' the largest dragon I have come across aside myself. Though thankfully this dragon was not my size, but half of it, maybe around 500ft (152m) long and a wing span of 650ft (198m). It also sensed me, so I dropped down in front of it and released my invisibility spell. We stared at one another for a few tense seconds before I broke the staring contest.

"Greetings, shadow dragon. I now understand why these mortals have avoided this ruined city. As you have taken residence inside it," I say to the dragon which I can tell is nervous at my appearance due to the size difference. Though from what I can guess this dragon is in their 'great wyrm' stage like me. I am just unnaturally larger than most dragons for some reason, though I have my theories as to why.

"Golden dragon… why are you here?" the dragon says to me with a distinctive female voice and tensed body ready for a fight to break out any second.

"I am exploring the known world I found myself in years ago. This is the latest place I have come to… unless you wish to fight, I have no reason to attack you," I say to the female dragon who goes silent hearing my statement while staring at me unsure of her next move.

"Then leave my liar, you have no reason to be here. Be on your way and we do not have to fight," the dragon says to me and I chuckle at her threat, making her glare at me and almost lash out at me.

"Very well, just can I have your name? I am curious about the others in this world," I say to the dragon and she stares at me silently unanswering my question.

"Very well, I will leave then," I say flying up into the air and heading further south to the only other city in this dark land. The shadow dragon stared at me as I left with the same look of anger and defiance on her face.

'A very rude dragon, but understandable as that was her home,' I think as I fly a few hundred miles south to the ocean that surrounds the peninsula of land that makes up the Shadow Lands.

As I reach the ocean I can see a smaller port city that I can only assume is Asshai. The city looks to hold no more than a hundred thousand people. Once again, I cast invisibility on myself before I landed near the city and shifted into my human form. I then put my hood up and covered my face with magic shrouding it. That way I appeared like the locals.

Walking inside the city, I heard them speak in the language from my old world considered 'undercommon' the language that was spoken in the Underdark. Not only that but I saw many 'Drow' walking around the city, in fact, the population seemed to be made mostly of Drow. Drow are also known as 'dark elves' they are the more evil elves and the opposite of 'high elves' from my old world.

As I walked through this city it was more advanced than the other cities that most humans have. Must be from the drow influence and the heavy magic in the air, though they are not as advanced as my clan. I also learned that the shadow dragon was their overlord in a sense. As they would pay her tribute every month and in return she would ensure the other beings in the shadow lands did not destroy their city.

The shadow dragon was also revered as the guardian deity as the drow worship her and the shadow men took after them too. The shadow dragon's name was Nurvureem and was also called 'The Dark Lady', as she would come down and visit once in a while taking the form of a very beautiful drow elf.

Most drow had very dark skin, purple or blue eyes, with white hair similar to the Targaryens. Though they did not fair well in direct sunlight as it would annoy them and weaken them since they are meant to live in the shadows/darkness. After I spent a few days among the drow and shadow men, I decided to leave toward 'Ulthos' which is another land mass south of Essos, and east to 'Sothoryos' which is another land mass. Both are very little explored as the lands go further south, but only a few thousand miles have been explored each.

As I cast invisibly on myself again, I teleported a few miles out to the ocean where I shifted to my true form and fly toward Ulthos. From Asshai to the continent of Ulthos, it was only a hundred miles or so. So in a few hours, I arrived at the little-explored continent of Ulthos. This place was a jungle filled with blackened trees, though thankfully not as dark as the Shadow Lands.

Further into the continent, the lands became more marshy and swampy, which might explain why the trees were so dark. The creatures that resided in the dark swampy forest were not much 'nicer' than the ones in the Shadow Lands. Creatures of more evil tendencies. Like slimes, giant leeches, snakes, frogs/toads, and what looked like sickly/corrupted tree ents.

As I flew further in I saw small villages made of huts, where very primitive-looking humans resided. From the looks of it, they were cannibals as many of their trophies were human skulls and they had human remains hung up to dry. Then a few miles from the largest of these villages, I saw a very large hut. I could sense magic coming from this hut.

As I landed near the hut as quietly as I could and still invisible, it appeared to be the residence of two or three swamp hags. Creatures that tricked humans and other intelligent beings into making deals with them. In return, they would grant the wish of the mortal, but would really be cursing them. With whatever curse they felt was fun to inflict at the time.

I decided against talking with the hags, as I did not feel like burning the forest down from the fight that would certainly break out if I revealed myself. I then took off and flew further into the content. I was flying for weeks and months as this continent was huge and mostly a swampy forest.

With the creatures residing in it are very primitive compared to the rest of the known world. As I approached the center of this swampy land, I felt two draconic presences. I instinctively knew it to be true dragons, just not what kind. One was much stronger than the other by a large margin though, my suspicion is that one is a baby.

Dropping down in front of the lair made from an extremely large tree, I see an ancient black dragon, around 90ft (27m) long with a wing span of maybe 110ft (33.5m), step out from inside. Then I see a wyrmling black dragon poking its head out from behind the ancient one curious as well. The fear was very evident on the mother's face at my appearance, as her child froze in fear also.

"Be at peace. I am here just exploring the world, I will not harm you unless you give me a reason to. I am just surprised to see that a wyrmling is with you," I say to them and look at the baby as some happiness rose inside me. It may be a chromatic dragon, but the fact that a new child is born to my kind gave me hope that one day our kind will return in abundance to this world.

"I see…," the mother says to me with fear in her voice. Out of all our kind, black dragons are considered the most cowardly and retreat at the first sight of danger.

"I will leave you in peace, though can I know your names?" I say to them as I did not want to bring unnecessary stress to the wyrmling. Especially since I know what it is like to see your mother be scared and feel hopeless.

"I am Zyna and this is my first child, Threzor," Zyna says to me while nervously looking between me and her child.

Unlike metallic dragons who care for their child up to the late Juvenile stage, chromatic kick their children out as soon as they reach that stage. However, the natural feeling of protecting your children is still there for Zyna, meaning her child just hatched in at least the last year or two.