In the middle of a room filled to the brim with children running back and forth. Floors constant creaking only overshadowed by the cries and shouts as this or that kid hit or pulled the hair of this other one. Every single one of them with only what one may refer to as a ‘potato sack’ as apparel - with none older than 6 visible as after that they were tossed to the curb if the owner couldn’t find someone to sell them off to.
This was because at the age of 7 one gained the skill to read and adapt their own {Status} - this able to level up and grow. There were many things that became possible which weren't before as, although some benefits would be there before hand, it was impossible to have a {Class} before this age.
Sitting in the back of the room was a girl with short, shaggy, royal purple hair from which two elongated ears peaked out. This hair was obviously very luxurious and by no means would you expect a girl with such a colour to be here… But often that is the case with bastard children and this girl was just that as far as everyone knew. As such she was treated no differently and she too was a potato girl.
She was sitting on a ‘chair’ which seemed more like… No it was a bunch of random wooden planks hastily nailed into one another and anyone who sat on it was sure to get splinters. The chair did try to lodge it’s gnarled fangs into her but she hadn’t lost a fight with it yet! This chair was the beast which only she had managed to tame in this orphanage!
In her hands was a picture book that was produced by shaving some wooden plants, tying them together in the corner with some fiber based rope and painting on it with some sort of thick paint. Her eyes were a rich purple matching her hair but the pupil would be visibly thinner and more vertical like that of a lizard. Apparently it was telling of a mighty hero from noble beginnings which would bring with him prosperity for this mighty nation… She didn’t know the name of the country or even if it was a country… She found herself quite unaware of where on the map she even was… Or if they had a map!
They probably did, ships were a thing and maps were quite important for such she knew.
In fact she knew a lot more than people gave her credit for, looking at the book she couldn’t help but give a smug chuckle and throw it to the side and cross her arms under her chest. As she leaned back in the chair, the room seemed to grow silent as the children turned to her.
“What would be the point if the {Hero} was some rich boy like they say - I know for a fact that the hero isn’t even a boy! It’s just pro-pepper-gang-der, I heard that word from one of the aunties at the brothel down the street.” <Smug Girl>
“Ooo~!” <Gaggle of children>
Nodding her head, she couldn’t actually read as the people in the orphanage simply didn’t care enough to bother to teach them such. The fact they had the books perhaps suggested they were supposed to but… Well who cared about orphans? If someone didn’t they wouldn’t be in this orphanage now would they?
Soon a boy with equally shaggy and dirty hair (although he was blonde but it was hard to tell whether it was dirty blonde due to his hair being, well, dirty) stood up and challenged the girl. Rising as he would chuckle softly and attempt to match the girls smirk but struggling to look as confident in front of the violet offender in front of her.
“Really? I heard from the grown ups that the country already found just that and this story on what he’ll do? Doesn’t seem lik-” <Future Dick>
“He’s not a hero!” <Smug Girl>
The girl roared out like a dragon, gritting her teeth as she raised from the chair to stomp on the floor causing it to break which should be impossible for a girl her size. Gnashing her teeth, which appeared more like fangs from a beast, the boy was obviously taken back from her sudden anger.
“B-bu-” <Future Afraid Dick>
“He’s a fake, a fakey faker who is good at nothing but faking! I’m-” <Smug Girl>
*Slap*
As the girl was going on her rant a plump old lady who seemed like she simply didn’t belong in this place stormed up and slapped the girl. The woman was dressed in simple green dress made from brand new fabrics and while they weren’t ‘high-class’ custom pieces - for a middle-class worker - you could hardly ask for anything better than this quality unless you worked for a brothel (since often the brothel will buy material for the girls to ‘display them properly’). And lets just say, this woman in no way could find herself working in a brothel. Murky brown hair that looks greasy and thinned out. A haggard nose and cheeks that hang down past 2 of her 7 chins. The fat on her body looked like it could feed these orphans for a week… It was probably supposed to consider this was Phik - the owner of this ‘fine establishment’. She was in fact a dwarf but still found herself less sturdy than the girl in front of her… And her own height seemed on the verge of losing to the little girl in front of her as well.
“Elizbeth you little fucking brat I’ve had it here - you think that little bit of dragon blood you’ve got in you makes you something special, eh? Think just because you're as strong as a man and even more sturdy that you can make something of yourself? Don't slander the Hero because I'm not getting in trouble because of your sharp tongue you bastard! You're nothing but a brat that will grow up in a few years finding herself in a brothel sucking off a middle aged adventurer - never mind becoming a hero! At least that high endurance of yours will come in useful when being slammed face first into floor boards and ass slapped silly by some ugly slum flotsam as you get filled with your 6th kid!” <Phik>
<Big girls don’t cry, hero’s don’t cry! Wait a year and you can set them straight!>
Elizabeth repeated in her mind as she looked up to the woman; tears resting in the corners of her eyes. Her left hand resting on the cheek that was slapped as spittle continued to plaster itself over her far too lithe face - it had reddened for a instance but was healed fully before the owner even finished her tirade - but the hand that connected with her looked even redder and hadn’t stopped stinging since. Phik knew that. And, that made her mad. Simply because, she knew all the other kids knew… After all, who could slap a dragon and walk away without a wound?
Not to mention those eyes… Most children looked at her with fear and reluctance but it felt more like the girl in front of her was simply waiting for her chance… There was only one other dragon in this city that Phik knew of so she guessed this was the plan of the girl.
Raising her left foot she would lunge it forward to send it directly into Elizabeth's gut sending her back onto the chair - however everyone knew it was poorly constructed. No one was surprised when it shattered under the force of the little girl being hurled backwards upon it, splinters erupted and while she wouldn’t be hurt from them normally this force was more than enough to cause them to harm her as she soon cried out. Everyone was taken back by the always sturdy Elizabeth crying out. Even that boy that Elizabeth thought was a Dick didn’t want to see that happen to the girl.
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But someone else had a grin plastered on her face.
“Where’s that confidence now? You think just because there are only two dragons in this city that Count Shanta would come hel-” <Phik>
“I don’t even know who that is you- you orc!” <Elizabeth>
One would have to say that her bravery was in fact commendable. Not just anyone could yell at the person who got them in this situation but Elizabeth was anything but a door mat… No, she knew she couldn’t be. At least one person… Well there were two voices so maybe it was people? Regardless Mr/Mrs Disembodied Voice had told her before that she had an important task and even if they bantered a little with each other a little bit it was clear that they at least believed in Elizabeth enough to give her the role in the first place. Maybe that just showed the trust they had in her?
Not to mention, some time in the coming year (she wasn’t sure when her birthday was exactly) the country would come to her aide and she could show Phik who was going to be a brothel whore!
…
Well, Elizabeth didn’t believe the brothel in the slums would even hire Phik but she knew for sure she wasn’t going to be one!
Meanwhile Phik’s face went so red and contorted it looked like she was indeed attempting to do an impression of a short orc fire mage - it was almost a surprise that there wasn’t any steam coming out of her ears or nostril. There was spit though. Stomping up to Elizabeth she would then stomp down over and over again on top of the girl's solar plexus (causing her to spew her stomach contents but there was nothing in there but water and acid). Not even stopping when the rotten wooden floorboards cracked and the girl was shoved into the literal rats nest below.
“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY YOU BASTARD! I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW YOUR MOTHER WAS A BROTHEL WHORE AND I’LL FUCKING MAKE SURE-!” <Phik>
Phik’s words were cut short shortly after insulting the girls mother. She didn’t know much about her mother but there is one thing she remembered - she didn’t know how or why but she did. And that was the voice filled with love that apologized as their last words. For someone to curse her out using that woman's name? That can only be replied with some expert oral usage of her ow-
*Chomp!*
Her nails gripped into the flesh as with the strength equal to that of a adult human she held down the woman's shin, catching her of balance long enough for Elizabeth’s dagger-like fangs pierces through the woman's flesh - while she wasn’t strong enough (as a adult dragon would be) to pierce through the bone. This was enough to send the fat bitch down with a mighty thud. Getting a taste of her own medicine as the floor cracked underneath her with a crackling.
However, there is a clear difference. Although her {Status} wasn’t available yet, everyone knew she at least had a high {Con} and matched with a decent level in Regeneration… Other than regeneration she didn’t know what that really meant but was informed that she could take a far bigger beating than any human male could… Or, to make things simply…
This hurt a hell of a lot more for Phik than it did Elizabeth.
“AHH YOU BITCH, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE A HERO FOR ATTACKING A POOR MIDDLE AGED WOMAN JUST TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET BY DEALING WITH SOME SHITTY UNGRATEFUL BRATS, AHH GET SOMEONE TO HELP I’M BLEEDING! OH THE HUMANITY, THERE'S A FERAL DRAGON! HEEELP” <Phik>
The one sobbed as she originally tried to pull herself up but the small spines in her back only felt worse from the movement so soon settled in place while crying.
Opening her mouth with eyes wide open in shock at this scene, blood dripping from her fangs, Elizabeth didn’t know what to do so simply stayed there like a deer in headlights. In fact as she got up from the floor. Most of the fragments in her skin weren’t that deep so although her back was still fairly bloody she was already somewhat used to pain and was able to stave off the need to cry anymore as the regeneration pushed the spikes from her back to sharply heal her up.
“Shit… What do I do…” <Elizabeth>
She whispered in a soft shaky voice, her eyes visibly trembling as silence filled the room now except for the bitching and moaning of humpty dumpty’s aunt.
<This is going to be really difficult to get out of…>
That's right, she didn’t care that she’d hurt Phik - in fact in any other situation she may even be elated while laughing and pointing like a child… Well she was a child! But, in this situation the guards would obviously side with the money and the money was clearly all going into that woman's pockets.
<Or maybe that's what the pockets on her neck are for?>
She pondered as her surprise faded for a bit as she moved her left hand up to stroke her chin while the right supported her elbow as she did it. Shaking her head she looked at all the kids around her in hopes for some… Yea no. Even with Phik in the room she would likely proudly say (in front of everyone including Phik) she was the wisest in the room. If Phik known for anything it wouldn’t be a level head… If not maybe she wouldn’t have attacked the child of a dragon.
“I suppose it’s a bit earlier than planned but I guess it works out since I don’t know when she’d sell me off anyway…” Elizabeth mumbled as she looked around the room to see if anyone had anything to say but they were too confused and seemed that brain.exe had simply stopped working.
Sighing at her simple minded brothers and sisters in arms she would stand up and wipe herself off.
“Well, I’m going to head off now that there's no one to stop me~ Enjoy your lives~” <Elizabeth>
Speaking rather enthusiastically considering she knew the deep shit she was in… Which is also why it wouldn’t hurt if she did a bit more. Thinking such things she walked towards the door… Straight over the fat orc carpet that lay in front upon a bed of wooden thorns. I needn’t explain Phik’s reaction.
As soon as she stepped on her face, pushing the nose down with a crack, she would hop off and quickly scamper out the room before the kids could stop her as she didn’t know if any would try to get some brownie points.
The building itself wasn’t large (as you’d probably guessed) being made up of one large bedroom for the kids, one storage room for their black bred (<I bet not even dwarves could make that hard stuff usable> was Elizabeth's thoughts on the stuff), the room she just left where they basically lived in since the kids weren’t allowed to really do anything and Phik’s upstairs.
Obviously Elizabeth hadn’t ever been up those well maintained (compared to the shit show on the ground floor) stairs but if there was anything of value it would be upstairs so she quickly scampered up the stairs on her hands and feet - not afraid to make use of those sharp nails of hers to get a second extra bit of speed - as she sharply (pun intended) got to the top. There were three rooms.
A study which was pretty bare bones (you Phik her to study, pun intended) as all she really did was receive money from the lord to ‘take care’ of the orphans, a bedroom.
<Probably smells like beef… Well I guess since I’m not sure what that smells like…>
And lastly, a bathroom!
The kids simply shat in a corner of the bedroom opened up to the dirt below that is designated as ‘The Bog’ but that shall be left unexplained. She really wanted to try bathing but… Unfortunately she didn’t have the time. She did have the time to quickly ditch the sack and get a quick wash down. Darting in she would quickly wet a towel and rub it over her body as fast as she could. Any time she felt a towel was getting too dirty she just tossed it upon the drain and placed another on the tap before doing the same.
In case anyone is wondering, she knew what she was doing by placing the towels into the drainage, this could be seen as she was currently stuffing one into the sink and toilet as well while making sure to make the most of it.
<I feel a bit bad for the other kids but not enough to get put in jail...>
She thought, causing her childish grin to turn to a frown. Shaking her head she sighed out and gunned towards the bedroom with a blush on her face as her left hand rested over her lower and her right crossed over to hide her chest.
Finding some fabric and a belt she would make do by ripping a hole in the centre and plopping her head through it before tying the belt around her waist. She really wanted underwear but obviously Phik wouldn’t have any that fit her… Or rather Phik never ever bought any that would fit any of the children as even the Sacks came for free with the bread. Luckily it was still summer, although admittedly approaching the end of it, so it was still warm enough for her to not freeze to death.
Well she could always cuddle up as a little dragon if she needed… Once she figured out how to transform. Things were harder for a half breed it seemed as usually dragons received the important details as inheritance from their parents.
Shaking her head of her thoughts she would dive down the stairs before busting through the front door to make her way to the outside world for the first time since she could reasonably understand what was happening around her!
…
It smelt like shit...