You are sitting on a dock, your fishing rod in your hand and a vast lake surrounding you. The line is sitting peacefully in the water, awaiting fish to catch. It's been a long time since you last found a free day to enjoy one of your favorite pastimes in your favorite getaway place. You feel calm and unbothered and yet [[there are so many things around you. ->What Do You Notice?]]
The gentle [[breeze ->Air]] plays with your hair and carresses your skin like a soft, cool blanket. [[Mountains ->Earth]] lay in the distance, giants slumbering in the Summer heat. The still [[lake ->Water]] envelops all below the surface as if the secrets beneath were too precious for men to lay their eyes upon.
(set: $Air0 to 0)
(set: $Earth0 to 0)
(set: $Water0 to 0)
(set: $Air to 0)
(set: $Earth to 0)
(set: $Water to 0)Something catches your eye... Was that cloud always there?
[[You ignore it. ->Choose Another]]
[[You block the sun with your hand. ->Air Beast]]
(set: $Air0 to 1)The ancient, slumbering mountains seem peaceful in their quiet omniprescence. The white snowcaps are fully visible in the cloudless sky.
[[That's nice. You came here for the fish, though. ->Choose Another]]
[[You look towards a smaller, closer hill. ->Earth Beast]]
(set: $Earth0 to 1)It's dark out now, but you're a fishing fiend. The light of the moon is not ideal, but it is enough. You tell yourself you should have brought a jacket, or a blanket, because without the warmth of the sun, your skin is covered in goosebumps and your teeth chatter.
(click: "sun")[You've been staring at the water for a long time now. At first you think your eyes are adjusting to the dim light, but you see reflections of something bright in the water. Looking up, you see what looks like a fire come over the mountains, heading in your direction.]
(click: "fire")[[[You're too tired for this. ->Go Home]]
[[Is that the light you've been asking for? ->Fire Beast]]]Something in the distance makes big ripples in the surface of the water. You didn't know anything of that size lived here.
[[Have you caught anything yet, though? ->Choose Another]]
[[You watch the ripples. ->Water Beast]]
(set: $Water0 to 1)You came here to fish, and fish you will. Hours pass with your line gently sitting in the water. You catch a few good fish, and once the sun passes over the mountains, you decide to pack up and go home.
The Universe wanted to reveal to you its secrets, but you were not ready. That's okay, you can always come [[back ->The Dock]].You decide that maybe fishing wasn't such a good idea after all. You pack up your things and leave, saying goodbye to the beautiful landscape you once thought of as Heaven on Earth.
It seems some adventures are better left to the more accepting.You shift your attention elsewhere
(if: $Air0 is 0)[The [[breeze ->Air]] is soothing and gentle.]
(if: $Earth0 is 0)[The [[mountains ->Earth]] are expansive and powerful.]
(if: $Water0 is 0)[The [[water ->Water]] is cool and mysterious.]
(if: $Air0 is 1 and $Earth0 is 1 and $Water0 is 1)[You have decided you do not want to see any of the creatures. Are you [[afraid?-> Run]] Or just [[not interested-> Nothing happens.]]?]Once you block the sun, more details become apparent to you.
(click: "details")[That is definitely not a cloud.]
(click: "cloud")[The creature is bright white, with a distinct tail following behind it like a smoke trail. Wings the size of houses stretch out on either side, pushing through the air, then staying outstretched for a while, and repeating the process.]
(click: "process")[It seems to notice you staring, and decides to investigate you, dropping down lower and lower until it's only a few yards away. Each push of its wings makes deep divits in the water and blows on you hard enough to make you hope you don't get blown away.]
(click: "blown away")[[[The creature lands behind you. ->Air Beast on Deck]]]The small hill is somewhat irregularly shaped. There are some lumps that do not appear on the other hills, and it seems to be... breathing? As you continue to stare, it becomes more evident that one part of it slowly moves up and down as if the hill were breathing.
(click: "breathing.")[The breathing becomes faster. The hill starts quivering, and then a large dog-like head pokes up from the opposite side. As it unfurls its body, you can see more details. It's body and head are shaped like a dog, with big drooping off moss and fur of the green grass that covers the hills. It stretches its long, leafy tail and yawns, showing its mud-colored mouth and sharp stone teeth.]
(click: "teeth")[It looks around lazily while it wakes up more, and then its ancient eyes settle on you.]
(if: $Air is 1 or $Fire is 1 or $Water is 1)[(click: " on you")[[[Another dragon! ->Earth Beast Closer]]]]
(else:)[(click: " on you")[You've read about these creatures in your grandfather's books...
[[A dragon? ->Earth Beast Closer]]]]The light comes closer, and begins to illuminate the lake and everything around it. You try to make out the details, but whatever it is, it's too bright to look at for very long. The entire thing is covered in flames, like a flying campfire. The vague shape is reminiscent of a dragon, but anything more specific than that alludes you.
(click: "alludes")[You look away, not wanting to go blind. Colorful spots now dot your vision as you gaze at the lake in front of you. The light above reflects off of the surface of the water, creating a thousand fairy lights. Now quite close, the creature is circling in the air above you. You watch it through the reflection on the water, which isn't quite as blinding as the direct light.]
(click: "direct light")[[[It looks like it's descending. ->Fire Descends]]
[[It looks like it's dancing. ->Fire Dances]]]The ripples circle around, disappearing for a minute or so, then reappearing. The creature's back just barely passes over the surface of the water (not so high up as to break surface tension) each time it rises. You wonder if you should take your line out of the water, but ultimately decide to leave it in unless the beast comes closer.
(click: "comes closer")[The creature meanders its way over to you. Its movement is fast, but not nearly as fast as most of the animals in the water, so the creature is either quite slow or taking its time. You assume the latter. You pull your line out of the water, not wanting to risk anything that large getting stuck.]
(click: "that large")[Just as the beast passes the edge of the dock, still a ways out from the side, it lifts its head out of the water. Its skin is like a shark's, and it has a long neck that ends in a lizard-like head. It looks at you with dark, beady eyes.]
(click: "beady eyes")[[[You do not feel safe here. -> Run]]
[[You wave at it. ->Water Beast Introduction]]]Its blue eyes pierce you, inquisitive yet cautious. Its long body is covered in icy scales, and its four legs end in paws with sharp claws.
(click: "claws")[(if: $Water is 0 and $Earth is 0)[You've seen this creature before in the books your grandfather showed you as a kid. What was its name again?...
(click: "name")[It's a dragon...]]
(else:)[Another dragon!]]
(click: "dragon")[It steps closer, nose first as if deciding whether or not to trust you by smell.]
(click: "trust")[You set the fishing rod aside and stand up. The dragon lets you get close enough to it to reach out your hand. It sniffs the extension before placing its head underneath.]
(click: "head")[[[It wants you to pet it? ->Air Pet]]
[[It wants you to ride it? ->Air Ride]]
[[This is far too dangerous. -> Run]]]You pet the dragon. It's eyes scrunch up and its teeth bare. At first, you pull away, thinking the creature is angry, but soon you realize that it's smiling.
(click: "smiling")[It has been a long time since the dragon last got a good petting.]
(click: "petting")[You gently scratch up and down its head. There are no ears to scratch behind, but you notice that a certain part of its neck makes its back leg start to stomp the ground. The creature is enjoying this immensely.]
(click: "immensely")[[[You want to ride it now. ->Air Ride]]
[[Does it like fetch? ->Air Fetch]]]You keep one hand on the creatures head and walk around to the side, moving your hand down the neck of the creature until the wings get in the way. To get to its side, you duck until the wing and then pat the creature's back. It lowers, allowing you to climb on top.
(click: "climb")[Your heart is racing. Is this really happening?]
(click: "really")[The creature stands up again, and you wrap your arms around the thinnest part of its neck that you can reach. The dragon steps backwards until it is off of the deck again.]
(click: "deck again")[And then it starts running.]
(click: "running")[It reaches the end of the deck and beats its wings down, splashing the water up with the force. You feel your stomach turn as the air races past you. The creature's legs tuck underneath it and you rise higher and higher into the sky.]
(click: "sky")[[[Where will you go? ->Air Flight]]]You motion to dragon to wait a second while you go grab a branch just small enough for you to throw.
(click: "throw")[When you return, the dragon tilts its head, confused about what it is you got the stick for. You throw the stick, and wait.]
(click: "and wait")[waiting...]
(click: "waiting")[and waiting...]
(click: "and waiting")[and waiting some more...]
(click: "and waiting some more")["Go get it!" You shout excitedly at the dragon, pointing your arm towards where you threw the stick. The dragon turns its head in the direction of your point and decides to go along with the plan. It trots into the forest, knocking over some trees in the process, and soon comes back out holding the stick between its lips. It's teeth are far to big to hold something so tiny.]
(click: "tiny")[It drops the now slimy twig just in front of you and smiles wide. You pick it up, and wait again.]
(click: "wait again")["Sit!" The dragon sits.]
(click: "sits")["Good boy!" [[You throw the stick back into the woods. ->Air Done]]]
You decide you are finished with the dragon for today. After saying your heartfelt goodbyes, you promise that you will come back to fish soon.
(click: "soon")[The dragon whimpers, sad to see you go, but is also tired and ready to go rest. You step off of the deck to let your friend fly away. It looks back to see you once more before taking off into the sky.]
(click: "sky")[[[You want to see more dragons. ->Choose Another 2]]
[[You want to go home. ->Go Home]]]
(set: $Air to 1)This process repeats for hours. The dragon pants heavily and trots slowly. You throw the stick again, but the dragon shakes its head and lays down. For a few minutes, you lay with the dragon and regain your strength.
(click: "strength")[[[You think you're done for the day. ->Air End]]
[[You wait until the dragon has enough energy to go for a ride. ->Air Ride]]]Soon, the lake is no longer underneath you and you are so high up, the animals on the hillsides look like ants. You can see the expanse of forest and farms that stretches far into the distance. Everything you know is contained in these woods. Every person you've met, every food you've eaten, every trip you've made. You know nothing else.
(click: "nothing")[Until now.]
(click: " now")[The forest stops, replaced by roads and dirt. There are things on the roads but you're too high up to see them. You look ahead, and see dense packs of buildings, huddled together like gossipers exchanging sensitive information.]
(click: "information")[You've never been told of any other villages, not that you thought there weren't any. There has always been too much comfort in the woods of your home to ever venture out. Too much danger in leaving.]
(click: "leaving")[The dragon sails for a while, bringing you out farther and then in circles until the sun is low in the sky.]
(click: "sky")[[[You should head back. ->Air Return]]]The creature begins to return back to the dock. As it reaches the lake, it lowers and slows down, leaning backwards more and more. It hits the dock hard, but you stay holding onto the creature's neck. Coming to a running stop, the dragon lowers its back so you can slide off.
(click: "off")[In all the excitement, your legs have forgotten how to stand. You fall onto the dock, and the dragon sniffs you to make sure you are okay. You place a hand on its snout, assuring it you are fine, and stand back up.]
(click: "up")[You thank the creature for the journey. The dragon is tired, but not done for the day if you would like to continue.]
(click: "continue")[[[You want to play with it more. ->Air Pet]]
[[You can play some other time. ->Air End]]]You decide you are not done yet for today.
(if: $Air is 0)[[[You feel the breeze on your skin. ->Air]]]
(if: $Earth is 0)[[[You look towards the mountains and hills. ->Earth]]]
(if: $Water is 0)[[[You watch the water and wonder what lies under the surface. ->Water]]]
(if: $Air is 1 and $Earth is 1 and $Water is 1)[[[It's getting dark, You wish you had a torch. ->Fire]]]You pack up your things and head home.
What an interesting day it was!
Maybe you should [[come back->The Dock]] sometime soon.The dragon takes interest in you, and decides to inspect you further. Since there is quite a bit of lake in between you two, you expect the creature to go the long way around. Instead, it turns around and begins walking away, only to turn back again and...
(click: "and...")[Charge...]
(click: "Charge...")[Full speed...]
(click: "Full speed...")[Right at you...]
(click: "Right at you...")[The beast leaps into the air just as it gets close to the water and sails over the lake, landing on the ground at the base of the dock with a loud THUD.]
(click: "THUD")[[[You should get out of here. ->Earth Blocking]]
[[You approach the creature. ->Earth Intro]]]The beast blocks your path. If you truly believe that it is dangerous (to be fair, it clearly could rip you to shreds easily), then you're dead already. A look in the dragon's eyes, however, tells you that it doesn't want to hurt you. Still, you can choose to leave.
[[No, you've changed your mind. ->Earth Intro]]
[[Yes, you would like to leave still. -> Run]]You approach the creature, who stoops down into a bow towards you. Reaching out your hand, you pet the beast's wet, mossy head.
After a brief wordless introduction, the creature...
[[motions towards its back, telling you to hop on. ->Earth Mountains]]
[[motions towards the woods, telling you to follow it. ->Earth Woods]]You climb onto the dragon's back and slide up to hold onto its neck. This time, instead of leaping over the lake, the dragon takes the long way around -- probably to keep you from falling off. Once you reach the other side, however, it picks up speed considerably, and soon you both are racing through the hillsides so quickly, you have to hold on with all of your might just to keep from flying away.
(click: "away")[The creature slows down enough for you to enjoy the scenery. There are cattle scattered throughout the hillsides, along with sheep. Closer to the farms, there are pens of pigs snorting loud enough for you to hear them from this far.]
(click: "this far")[[[You live in one of those farms. ->Earth Farming]]]You follow the ancient beast into the woods, keeping close behind it but staying out of the way of its enormous paws. The sunlight trickles through the dense foliage above you, raining light onto everything in a speckling pattern. The creature is slow and looks over its shoulder often to make sure you are still behind it.
(click: "still behind")[You walk through the forest for what feels like a very long time. Just when you start to question your decision to go along with the creature, it begins to come to a stop.]
(click: "stop")[[[Is that a clearing up ahead? ->Earth Fairy Ring]]]You begin to tell the creature about your home life. After all, the two of you are connected in some ways, and maybe it can understand enough of what you say to pick up on that. You've spent your whole life farming in this quiet land. The mountains and the forest have always been the boundaries for what you know. Beyond them is a mystery to you.
(click: "mystery")[These creatures all around are as much a family to you as the people who raised you. These cattle and sheep and pigs are you brothers and sisters. The younger ones are like children to you.]
(click: "children to you")[You tell the dragon all of this, and of how much respect you have for the land and the beings who were here before you and will be here long after you.]
(click: "after you")[Somehow, you feel the ancient creature has understood.]
(click: "understood")[[[You should head back now. ->Earth Mount. Return]]]You tell the dragon that you would like to return back to the dock, and it turns around and heads back. There are other things you would like to do before the sun goes down, and it is already beginning to droop in the sky.
You reach the dock a while later and hop off of the creature.
[[It motions for you to follow it into the forest. ->Earth Woods]]
[[You thank it for the journey and go back to fishing. ->Earth End]]You thank the dragon for showing you everything it has shown you, and you exchange a heartfelt goodbye. The creature seems sad to leave, but respects that you have other things to do.
(click: "do")[There will always be other days to come visit.]
(click: "visit")[[[You want to see more dragons. ->Choose Another 2]]
[[You want to go home. ->Go Home]]]
(set: $Earth to 1)The two of you come to a clearing, and the creature steps aside to let you see what lies in the middle.
(click: "middle")[A mushroom fairy ring of about 3 feet diameter sits in the center of the clearing, with many daisies inside it. This doesn't seem that strange to you -- there are plenty of fairy rings throughout the forest.]
(click: "forest")[The dragon motions for you to step closer to it. As you do, you stoop a little to inspect the area. Is there something about the mushrooms or the daisies themselves?]
(click: "something")[The dragon motions for you to get even closer... no, it's motioning for you to step inside.]
(click: "step inside")[[[So you do. ->Inside the Fairy Ring]]]At first, nothing seems different. You look at the ground around you and the plants haven't changed at all.
(click: "changed")[Then you look up.]
(click: "look up")[A thousand peering eyes stare at you from outside the ring.]
(click: "eyes")[Tiny flying people the side of doves flit about in the air just out of reach. Some are further away, closer to the dragon or the trees.]
(click: "trees")[People made of wood look at you with beady, inquisitive eyes. Their feet seem to be rooted in the ground, but they pull them out as if out of a thick mud to step closer to you.]
(click: "step closer")[Monkey-like creatures with wings like crows fly -- or jump? -- from tree to tree, up in the branches. One tries to fly into you, but it's stopped by an invisible wall that juts up from the mushrooms.]
(click: "wall")[[[You step out. ->Return]]]You step out of the ring, either trying to go towards the creatures or trying to get out of the otherworldly realm.
(click: "realm")[Suddenly everything you just saw is gone again. There's only trees and birds and other animals you are accustomed to now. Except, the dragon is still waiting patiently. You look back at the fairy ring incredulously, and then at the dragon. It seems pleased with your surprise.]
(click: "surprise")[It turns and looks back in the direction from which you arrived. You agree to head back, and follow it to the dock.]
(click: "head back")[[[It motions for you to hop onto it for a ride. ->Earth Mountains]]
[[You thank it for the journey and go back to fishing. ->Earth End]]]The creature swoops down and lands on a big rock far enough away for its flames to barely warm you. It dims its flame enough for you to look at it more directly (and also for it to not set the grass around it on fire). Its eyes are glowing coals, its ashy skin barely visible from underneath the blanket of fire.
(click: "blanket of fire")[You and the beast stare at each other for a long time. Your night vision has completely vanished, and you can no longer see anything but the creature's circle of light and the moon. The beast beckons you to come closer.]
(click: "come closer")[[[That thing will kill you. ->Fire Walk Away]]
[[You stand up and walk towards it. ->Fire Dinner]]]The light spins and whirls and swoops all over the air like it's painting with the tendrils of its fire. You hazard a glance up directly at it. It seemed to have dimmed its light just enough for you to watch. Is it doing this whole show just for you?
(click: "just for you")[The dragon's entire body is covered in flames. From this distance, you can't tell much else about it, but the colors dance brilliantly in the sky. The reds and yellow and oranges blend together into an indistinguishable yet coherent blur that floats effortlessly and gracefully across the black backdrop.]
(click: "black backdrop")[The water sparkles with the reflection, and the whole world seems to stop and stare at the spectacle. Every creature holds its breath and gazes with wide eyes at the beauty up above that soars like an angel set ablaze.]
(click: "angel set ablaze")[[[You can't help but stare. ->Fire Dance Continues]]]You walk as close to the ball of flame as you can. The rock is much wider than it is tall, so you can get within a few feet of the rock without the heat getting too intense. Even so, sweat begins to drip from your skin as soon as you sit down.
(click: "sit down")[Your stomach grumbles loud enough to make both of you look down at it. Your packed lunch sits opened and eaten on the dock, but it's well past dinnertime at this point. You have nothing else to eat... except...]
(click: "except...")[You've been fishing all day, and while you're not an expert, these waters are teeming with fish and to hunt them all day and not catch one would be a disgrace to the human species. You have a couple modest-sized ones that the water dragon didn't devour on the dock next to your equipment.]
(click: "a couple")[You tell the dragon to wait while you go get the fish. Farther from the light source, you have to wait a few seconds for your eyes to readjust. Once they do, you grab the slimy fish and your knife and head back to the dragon.]
(click: "head back")[You sit back down in your original spot near the rock and toss a fish up to the dragon. It would be rude to eat yours right in front of your friend. Plus, you need the flame to cook your meal, which you promptly do before scraping off the scales and digging out the now-cooked meat with your knife. It's a little overcooked, and the fish isn't the tastiest breed, but your stomach thanks you regardless. Your new friend also seems [[grateful->Fire Light]].]The dragon hears your applause and comes closer. Not so close as to burn you, but close enough for you to appreciate its beauty. The creature's glowing ember eyes seem to hold eons of life inside of them, hot with not the rage but the ambition of a thousand souls. Even in the dead of night, such a creature is filled with energy. It needs no sleep for it is made entirely of fuel. Fuel that sustains and regenerates no matter how much is burned, no matter how much ash falls and steam rises.
(click: "steam rises")[You wonder how you can give back to the creature, to show your appreciation. Then you realize you have been fishing all day, and have not come out empty-handed. You lift a fish into the air, making sure the creature knows your intentions. Hopefully, dragons like fish.]
(click: "like fish")[The dragon quickly comes close enough for you to throw the fish at it, which is exactly what you do. You loft it as high and far as you can, and the creature swoops to catch the treat middair. Your friend seems grateful, and gives a final twirl before rising back high into the sky.]
(click: "sky")[[[It looks like it is about to leave. ->Fire End]]
[[It begins to descend towards the land. ->Fire Descends]]]The dragon picks up the gift with its baring teeth, lifting it into the air before releasing it to fall straight down its throat. It breathes a column of fire into the sky. Your people have always been kind to creatures, no matter how strange, and you have lived up to that reputation.
(click: "reputation")[The creature watches you while you eat your meal. The small catch is not enough to satiate your hunger completely, but it helps keep the aching away. You finish, and wipe your hands on your pants before returning the knife to your equipment bag. After sitting back down, you decide to try talking to the creature.]
(click: "talking")["What's your name?" You wait for a response, even just some motion to indicate it understood. Instead, the creature tilts its head. "Can you speak my language?" You try again, thinking maybe a 'yes' or 'no' question would be easier. The dragon shakes its head. "But you can understand me?" The dragon nods. "I want to know more about you. Where you came from, who you are, why you live here and why I haven't seen you until now." The dragon looks away.]
(click: "looks away")[A few silent moments pass between you. You think to yourself that there must be a way for you to find out the stories behind this. There must be some path you can take!
[[The dragon flies into the air, beginning to swing is twirl. ->Fire Dances]]
[[That's all there is. ->Fire End]]]
(click: "some path")[[[There must be more. ->Some Things]]]The dragon nods a goodbye before taking off into the dark sky. The light grows fainter and fainter until the creature passes over the mountains and leaves you once again in only the gentle glow of the moon. The celestial light seems to be smiling at you, welcoming you into a new era of your life. You will never be able to think about the water, or the woods, or the sky the same way ever again.
(click: "ever again")[But in the same way, you will never feel truly alone. You will always have allies in every nook and cranny of the world, and they will always know who you are and where you come from.]
(click: "where you come from")[[[You feel exhaustion threaten to take control. ->Go Home]]]The creature flies lower, low enough for the closest parts of its flight to warm you. It spins in the air like a firecracker, then shoots up and comes freefalling back down. Its tails follows behind it like a sparkler, embers trailing behind it like blossoms from a tree. They fizzle out long before they reach you, but the ash rains and coats your body in a fine layer.
(click: "ash rains")[The creature dives down once more. It doesn't seem to slow, barrelling towards the water. Your breath catches in your throat. Your heart stops. Everything goes quiet.]
(click: "quiet")[The dragon beats its wings down with such force, it blew away the water underneath it and maintained a height just above the lake. The heat from its body caused the water to turn to steam below it, making a foggy scene for its dance. The dragon hovered in middair for a few minutes, spinning and flicking its tail. You can feel its heat from here. The steam rises until it cools and falls as rain back into the water.]
(click: "falls as rain")[You applaud the show, your face covered in a smile as wide as it can go. You're glad you stayed for the final event.]
(click: "final event")[[[You should give it something in return. ->Fire Reward]]]You've come this far, after meeting other dragons who you either never questioned, or you decided to trust anyway.
(click: "anyway")[Why stop now? The evidence suggests that this creature, too, will be safe and only provide happy memories.]
(click: "happy memories")[Besides, there was no content warning at the beginning of this game, so how bad could it be?]
(click: "how bad")[[[You agree you'll stay and meet this dragon too. ->Fire Dinner]]
[[No way, you're going home before you become human toast. ->Go Home]]]This dragon cannot speak, but maybe there are others who can. If you put enough time and effort into this quest, you could uncover the secrets of these ancient creatures.
(click: "ancient creatures")[Maybe that's what your grandfather did, all those years ago. Maybe that's why he has a book full of stories and legends and pictures -- pictures that once felt like a dreamer's lie but now feel all too real. Maybe that's why he has a look in his eye like he has seen and heard and touched things that most people would cower and run from.]
(click: "most people")[The same blood runs through both of you. The same ancestors have been living and adventuring with these dragons for as long as they have been walking upright. This is your destiny. This is who you are meant to be.]
(click: "meant to be")[[[The dragon is about to leave. ->Fire End]]]The creature looks very familiar. (if: $Earth is 0 and $Air is 0)[You remember that face and those eyes staring at you once before, but not in real life... Where did you see it? As you try to remember, pieces of information come back to you. It was a drawing...
(click: "drawing...")[on dark paper...]
(click: "on dark paper...")[brown, thick paper...]
(click: "brown, thick paper...")[Grandpa's books!]
(click: "Grandpa's books!")[This is one of the creatures you saw in his book on dragons. He would tell you about them every night before bed, and any time you asked aside from then. But now, as the dragon treads water in front of you, those stories don't seem as fantastical as they once did. You thought you had outgrown those stories, but no, they were never meant to be outgrown. This is an ancient dragon!]]
(else:)[Another dragon!]
(click: "dragon!")[The creature stares at you, its eyes full of curiosity. It has noticed the fishing rod laying on the deck beside you, as well as the couple fish that lay behind you.]
(click: "behind you")[[[It could help you fish. ->Water Fishing]]
[[It motions for you to come into the water. ->Water Dive]]]The creature swims away as soon as it sees your equipment. You think it must've been offended, or scared off. You watch as it leaves, wondering if there's some way for you to convince it to come back. Before you can think of anything, though, the ripples return, even faster now. The creature raises its head back out of the water, but this time, its jaws are full of fish, some of which you've never seen before.
(click: "never seen before")[The creature swims up to the dock beside you. It's close enough to touch now, so you reach out your hand. The creature's skin feels rubbery, exactly as it looks, but softer than you imagined. You notice white scars along its neck and some on its face. You hope it came from other fish and not your people.]
(click: "your people")[The dragon unloads the fish beside you. There's no way you'll be able to carry them home with the things you have with you now. You'll have to come back for them later.]
(click: "come back for them")[[[Looks like you'll be eating fish for a while. ->Water Fishing Cont.]]]You think for a little bit. It's a pretty big leap of faith to enter those waters. Anything could be lurking beneath them. On the other hand, the creature seems friendly, but how much do you really know about it? Even if it is safe, what about the other animals in the water? Not all of them are pleasant, and if this dragon can't or won't protect you...
(click: "protect you")[Maybe you could just swim a little bit on the surface, near the edge of the lake. There wouldn't be any fish big enough to hurt you, and you could quickly get away if something does try to attack you. You get up and make your way over to a shallow part of the lake, then take off your shoes and step into the murky water. Your toes sink into the mud. It's not the most pleasant feeling, but it's not enough to make you get out.]
(click: "get out")[The dragon wades in the water as close to the shallows as it can get. It motions for you to come deeper into the water, but you hold your hands up to show it that you're not going any further. It gets upset, but not angry, hanging its head low. Okay, maybe you'll go in a little deeper.]
(click: "a little deeper")[[[You step in further. ->Water Dive 2]]
[[No, this feels too much like a trap. ->Feels Trappy]]]After dumping the fish on the deck, the creature looks at you as if it's waiting for approval. You smile and give a thumbs up, hoping the dragon gets the message. It bares its teeth, but not in anger. Sinking back into the water, it swims off again.
(click: "swims off")[The dragon soon returns, this time with even more, even bigger fish. You try to tell it that there's no way you could make any use of all of these fish (your're people already live with plenty of food and resources), but your friend does not seem to understand. It leaves again.]
(click: "leaves again")[For hours, the dragon collects more and more fish for you, each time dropping the load in the same spot on the deck. The fish at this point have started sliding off either side of the pile and back into the water.]
(click: "sliding off")[A low rumbling noise comes from just underneath the water. [[Was that it's stomach? ->Water Fishing End]]]Your friend looks down at its stomach. It hasn't eaten all day, and all these fish have gotten it really hungry. But, these fish are for you...
(click: "for you")[It couldn't possibly take them...]
(click: "take them")[But maybe just a couple...]
(click: "a couple")[The dragon, in its every-indulgent hunger, quickly gobbles up every fish on the dock. You can only watch in shock as a huge pile is reduced to a slimy puddle mere inches away from you. As the last fish disappears behind the well-meaning monster's large teeth, the creature's face covers in shame and embarrassment. It seems to be thinking to itself "what a terrible thing to do to one's guest."]
(click: "one's guest")[You try to console it.]
(click: "console it")[[[But it won't believe your words. ->Water End]]
[[It motions you to come with it, making up for the fish with a journey. ->Water Dive]]]The creature swims off into the depths of the water. You return to fishing for a bit, watching the water ebb and flow as the breeze passes. You wonder what other secrets the world may be hiding from you until the moment is right, and whether you will be ready for those secrets when they arrive.
(click: "arrive")[[[You want to see more dragons. ->Choose Another 2]]
[[You decide it's time to go home. ->Go Home]]]
(set: $Water to 1)The creature manages to coax you deeper and deeper until you have to kick your feet to keep your head above the water. Your instincts tell you this is a bad idea, and that you didn't have much of a choice in the matter, but something in your mind tells you that everything will be fine and you won't get hurt.
(click: "won't get hurt")[The dragon leans its face down and taps you on the top of your head before diving underwater. You wait for it a while, but it doesn't come back up. You sink under the surface enough to be fully submerged, forgetting that you can't see anything through the muddy water.]
(click: "muddy water")[Except, you can see. It's not muddy water below the surface, it's crystal clear. There is a whole different world here, with colorful fish and intricate plants speckling the lake floor below you. The dragon swims around happily, ecstatic that you trusted it so much. You gasp in amazment, and find that you can breathe.]
(click: "you can breathe")[Your dragon friend comes back towards you, and spins in place, waiting for you to come after it. You swim closer, and it races off, stopping every once in a while to make sure you've caught up. It leads you deeper and deeper, towards the floor of the lake. It's so cold now, but you keep moving. Your heart is racing.]
(click: "heart is racing")[[[You see a structure on the floor.->Water Dive End]]]You shouldn't worry. The creatures here think of you as a friend. You've only ever caught small fish, so those are the only ones that have a grudge against you, and they're too puny to harm you.
However, this is your choice. If you decide that you will not go further into the water, you can [[pack up and go home-> Run]]. Or, you could [[continue to fish->Water Fishing]].
Or you could [[continue into the water->Water Dive 2]]There is a large hollow rock with a hole in it just below you. It seems that this is where the dragon wanted to bring you -- its home. You both head inside, and you first notice how big it is. Your enormous friend can comfortably swim around in here, so for you, it's a hundred times bigger than any room you've ever been in.
(click: "you've ever been in")[You have to swim just to keep from rising up. Your arms and legs are getting terribly tired, but you want to stay just a little bit longer. There are fantastic, small creatures everywhere, ones that you've never seen before. You've only ever caught the smallest and dullest of fish, and it amazes you that so much more could have been just underneath the surface.]
(click: "underneath the surface")[Your friend seems very excited, making you wonder how lonely it had been before you arrived. How could it be lonely with all these other animals? And yet, you somehow seem special to it.]
(click: "special")[You want to stay longer, but your body is already far too tired. You show the dragon that you can barely keep swimming, and it agrees to let you go. It follows you back up, and helps push you back to the edge of the lake, where you get out of the water. It feels strange to breathe air again, but you quickly transition.]
[[You go back to fishing.->Water Fishing]]
[[The dragon looks ready to leave.->Water End]]