Several minutes before at the magic seal.

  ……………………………………………..

  Breigon left a long time ago; he should be arriving at the great spider's nest soon. I have managed to recover some mana; I hope it is enough. I must be alert if my brother sends me any signal to start the ritual and try to communicate with my great ancestor Orgarrl and ask him to help us finish the magic seal and thus activate the miasma field.

  The great ancestor Drazird told my brother that I was the only one who could communicate with him, as his blood runs in my body and therefore there might be a possibility of connecting with him. If it weren't for the reason and the motives behind why we do this, I would be very excited to be able to speak with my ancestor, just as Breigon does with the great ancestor Drazird. I always envied him, I won't deny it, being able to talk to one of our great ancestors, me talking to the great Orgarrl. Focus, Garrl! Breigon told me it would be dangerous; the ritual would not only drain my mana but also send part of my essence to where the great Orgarrl is, and to do it, I had to use the tablet I had, a bit of my blood, and place it on the main stone of the magic seal that would serve as a catalyst, and above all, remember my heritage to reach him. It would be a very long and dangerous journey, my brother warned me, and there was also the possibility of not finding him and, even if we did, there was the risk of how he would be, but no matter what, I had to convince him to help us. Everything sounded very strange, but Breigon told me that the great ancestor Drazird mentioned that he would understand upon finding him.

  Time kept passing and it was making me anxious. What is Breigon doing? He should have already arrived. ………….... Breigon, my brother, ………………. Wow, he is a mystery in many ways; I feel like I know him and at the same time, I don't. I know I should at least be angry, because he considered putting our legacy at risk just to protect me, but I couldn't. I know that sacrificing ourselves is part of our duty to the great ancestors, and I know it because of my heritage and I understand it. His idea or action of placing me above our heritage makes no sense, and I know Breigon understood this when he managed to feel part of our heritage and lineage. I was happy for him, although I know it must have been overwhelming to feel it for the first time, but despite that, he chose to honor our lineage and trust in it, just as I do.

  Damn! He should have arrived by now. ………………… I must calm down, maybe everything is fine, and we have more time to finish the magic seal, ha, who am I kidding? Humans won't stop that easily. Humans! …………………………… Why do Breigon and even the great serpent think they can be good? Just look at what they did to her .............. I miss her, and I know Breigon does too; maybe we can find her body and give her the prayers she deserves. I know she is not a kobold, but with everything I have seen and learned these past few months, that is the least of my concerns. She was more than a snake that helped us; she was our friend and teacher, and I will honor her memory. ……………….. Damn humans!

  I was still lost in my thoughts, by the time I felt it, it was Breigon's signal, it had to be! But I also felt a great pain, the pain of my brother. What's happening? No! I must concentrate, I must trust him and I know he is waiting for me and that he activated the magic seal, so I don't hesitate and place the tablet and perform the ritual, while I remember my heritage from the great Orgarrl, who, although he had pain and hatred, also had pride and strength, and there I concentrate, but the former were stronger and I was overwhelmed by them.

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  - It was all my fault ……………… Why did I trust those humans? Why did I trust those humans? ……………… I helped them create that magic ……….…………. I condemned so many and my own kind ………………… It was me; it was the humans; it was the humans ………………. The blood of my brothers ……………………. It was the humans ………………… They didn't stop even though I asked them to ………..... They showed no mercy ………… So don't show them any mercy …………… They must pay …………… All humans must pay.

  What is all this? Where am I? It hurts! It's how I felt since I was born, until …………… "Life is not just hate, Garrl, it allows you to be happy and fill that void with happiness"…..…… Until my brother Breigon taught me that I can choose.

  - Great ancestor Orgarrl, I understand your pain! It's something that consumes and hurts you, but there's more to it, and I've lived it; you can create instead of destroy, great ancestor.

  And, having finished my words, I feel it, I feel as if all the pain of my great ancestor is directed towards me, and I mourn more than before; but I too have lost all my brothers and my village and I know how that pain feels, as well as the feeling of guilt.

  - Please, great ancestor, we need your help to honor your legacy, to save my brother, to help our people, please! …………….. I know I am not worthy and that I am weak, but I will not leave this place, you are not alone! And their pain has been my pain and their hatred helped me fight, and I know my duty to all the great ancestors: I will never reject my heritage! but……………, but ……………… I want to create my own heritage to honor them. I want their descendants and all my kobold brothers to also inherit happiness, dreaming, laughing, and playing. Great ancestor! His legacy is more than hatred; Tammat knew it, and those who inherited his legacy knew it too, for his legacy can create instead of destroy.

  - Create instead of destroy? ………………………Tammat?

  - Yes, Tammat was my mother and she inherited her legacy to magic seal the great caves to protect them from humans, to protect those who live in them, to protect our people; great ancestor Orgarrl! Please, I humbly beg you to help us once more. Please!

  Little by little, I began to feel it; the anger and hatred started to diminish, although they were still present, especially when mentioning humans, but when I realized the darkness, a great dragon emerged that I immediately recognized from my heritage: it was the great Orgarrl! I was in the presence of my great ancestor; it was incredible and I was amazed; then I thought: this is what Breigon has with the great ancestor Drazird! Breigon! My brother! I don't have time; I need to activate the seal as soon as possible.

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  - Are you a kobold? Of course, you must be one, how else would you have made it here? But seriously, using the ritual spell to reach me, you're the second one to do it; however, Tammat bypassed my negative feelings and came directly to me. She is very talented, worthy of our lineage. You, on the other hand, confronted me and endured all those feelings. You say you are his offspring; it would make sense that you could come this far. Tell me, are you also worthy of our lineage?

  - Me? …………….... The truth is, I don't know; I would like to think so and I strive for it, but now, with the utmost respect, great ancestor, we don't have time. My brother needs me; the humans have returned and are about to discover the seal before activating it. They might seek to destroy it and take all the mana ore; that's what the great serpent and Breigon believe.

  - Humans? ................... Don't worry about the time, here it's different. Don't worry about the time, it's different here. Regarding the magic seal, it's true, my goal was to protect the caves, but also to prevent humans from creating more weapons, because ……………..… I don't remember ……………….… there was a war ……………… yes, it was a war, and I ………………..… It's hard to remember; being here makes you forget and disappear little by little, only the strong feelings endure more, that's why what you felt and I suppose I inherited from you with greater strength; that wasn't my goal nor that of the other dragons ……..... I ………….... I don't remember ….... I had a duty ……….... but I don't remember anymore ……………..... I don't remember ……………….… Is it because of those humans? I trusted them, THOSE DAMN HUMANS, THEY MUST PAY, THEY ……………..… MUST PAY ……………..…

  I didn't understand anything that was happening. Why was the great ancestor acting like that? But what I do understand is that the darkness was consuming him again: the hatred, the anger, the desire to destroy humans. Is this how Breigon saw me? When did I lose control because of my anger? The mana of the great ancestor felt bad; it was not just that hatred and anger, but also sadness and pain. He didn't want this; he doesn't want to be like this, and I understand him.

  - Great ancestor Orgarrl, I know I cannot compare your pain with my pain, but I listen to you and I am here. I also hate humans, not just because of their heritage, but for all the harm they have done to us, but I decided to move on. My brother taught me that there is more; I know it hurts and it's not easy to forget, but there is more, and you know it too. Tammat also knew it, that's why she tried to change our people. I accept your feelings, but I will not give up, and I know you won't either.

  I immediately tried to pull the great ancestor Orgarrl out of that darkness that was trying to absorb him, just as Breigon helped me, just as the great serpent and the great spider did with me.

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  A small kobold was holding onto one of my claws. How does this little creature think it can move me? He shouted various things, about not letting myself get lost in hatred, that there was more; his mana also emitted the same hatred and sadness as mine, but also hope and happiness, and that was what he was trying to convey to me …………….… Wait, I remember, he is one of my descendants, he wanted me to help him ……. but with what? The magic seal!

  I remember it now, though not everything. My duty was for them, for the kobolds, so that we would not be forgotten. I and other dragons sacrificed ourselves; it was all we had left, but being active here drives you to madness. I accepted that as part of my punishment, but also to pass on my knowledge, yet I have been lost in my regrets, in my anger and hatred, and without realizing it, I began to inherit only that.

  Tammat! She saw beyond this darkness, she saw those days before the war, she saw the little that was left of me. I couldn't give her everything, even for her it was too much, but now her offspring is here, and not just for my inheritance, but because he wants to save me. When he arrived, I felt it: a small drop of light in a vast darkness, but there is nothing left to save of me and that's fine, I knew it since I decided to be here, but thanks to him, I can fulfill my duty one last time. I'm sorry, everyone, this is as far as I could go.

  I began to explore his memories to see how I could help. I saw all the pain he had suffered; I saw how his brother Breigon saved him from being lost in the same darkness as I was, I saw his dream, I saw to my surprise that Drazird was with his brother. So, there is still hope, I thought, but I focused on the magic seal and what they did. I don't have time for more, they just need to connect three rocks slabs and activate it. They did it, the kobolds did it! Although with a terrible sacrifice, and once again because of me, I'm sorry, Tammat, but your offspring and the descendant of Drazird you saved show they have the same dreams of change that you longed for, and even greater ones. I would have liked to see them fight for that dream, but at least I won't allow it to end here.

  - Garrl! Listen to me! I don't have time left. I can't inherit the way to finish the magic seal from you, but I can finish it and activate it through you. It will hurt you, but it will work. I would like to explain so many things, I would like to inherit more, but this is all I can do. Listen, I recognize you, Garrl, as worthy to be my descendant and carry my lineage, and I also recognize your brother Breigon. Please, do not make the same mistakes we did and fight for your dream together; you have my approval.

  - Great ancestor Orgarrl, come with me, don't stay here; let me show you that there is more, like my brother and the great ancestor Drazird.

  - Thank you, Garrl, but I can't; we have different duties and obligations, but tell Drazird thanks for giving me one last hope. ……………………… Goodbye, Garrl, create your own legacy for yourself and your people.

  - Wait, please!

  He was expelled from that place; I saw how the darkness swallowed him, but with him came his mana, a warm mana that I felt when he spoke to me for the first time; it was immense and powerful.

  Upon waking, his mana flowed through me to the magic seal; it hurt as he said, my whole body ached like never before, but I felt the last tombstones connecting and the seal remaining active with what little was left. But I couldn't save him, that was all I thought, I couldn't save my great ancestor, but he recognized me and I would honor him. In that moment, I felt it: I was different, my body had changed and overflowed with mana; I was worthy of my lineage. I was recognized, the blood of my great ancestors had awakened, just like my mother's, but I had mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. However, my brother needed me and, although I knew the magic seal was active, I also knew that it wouldn't be enough to end the humans, and I ran like I had never run in my life, towards the great spider's nest, with hope, but also with profound sadness.