《Mimic》


 Something Must be Done

    Magic is everything. It is the at the core of every living thing, in the air they breathe and in the water they drink... even the dirt will hold a trace of magic. While life was far from harmonious, we higher creatures, those with higher reason, understood there must be a balance in this world. Respecting and preserving the balance of life and magic has been the natural order since ancient times, at least until the humans came into existence. Whatever hole they crawled out of must have been... unnatural. They came to this world empty, devoid of any magical affinity. In that absence was just a pang of hunger that would never be sated.


    Humans were hated; hunted for sport more than necessity. As weak as they were, they proved resilient, thwarting extermination and culling efforts. Admittedly they earned some respect were given space to coexist on our terms. Perhaps it was the first mistake, giving them any sort of reprieve. Perhaps we higher creatures just grew complacent in keeping them in check.


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    The humans figured out how to survive alongside us, growing more bold and more hungry for our resources in the process. It wasn''t long before ancient forests began to fall and waterways were altered on a whim. These pests only multiplied and ravaged more of the land, leaving scars in their wake. Suddenly we found ourselves being hunted and pushed out of our homes. The pests, now threats, have gone too far and have grown too strong. Somewhere they have a weakness...somehow they must be stopped. Something must be done.

 I Am What I Am

    Shape shifter, skin stealer, a changling; all names that I have been called before, as well as just monster. "Mimic" is the favorite lately, for I can shift and change my shape to ''mimic'' other things and creatures. It is rather nice to have the freedom to be anything, but that notion of freedom is limited. While I could be anything, I am far from the real thing. My scales and claws can be as hard and sharp as the finest human contraptions and my fangs can pierce most defenses, but I only am what I am. At the end of the day, my charade is merely an adaption to hunt.


    My kind had been feared since ancient times. The nature of our power made us cunning, almost too cunning to be trustworthy to most. It wasn''t until the humans came that we took to hunting them exclusively. It was much simpler; become something shiny and the human wouldn''t think twice about approaching. Many meals were simply a game of "change and wait" for the prey. Sadly, this easy prey is weak and offers little gain in strength compared to the other creatures that were once hunted. I suppose it was a compromise; hunt humans and become weak in return for the all-too-precious trust of the other creatures. It became worth it when the dragons and wyverns took us in as protectors of the hoard. It was worth it when we were the only ones, but as of late, it seems that everything needs protection from the humans.


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    As it stands, my dragon now keeps company of a handful of creatures. My dragon, a common fire breather, has made its burrow deep in a mountain valley. The trek there is arduous and food is scarce, but the safety it brings is unmatched. While it should keep us all safe, rumors of human scouting parties have fluttered around the forests. History shows that the scouts come first and later the rest of the horde , razing everything in their path to make way for new dwelling. The crass disregard of nature has drained the world of much of the ambient magic. They would never know; it is said they don''t know the splendor of magic themselves. How could it be that such inferior...things... can wound the world so deeply? Humans need to be stopped, at all costs.


    Battle plans are for others to discuss. For now, it is enough to simply be safe.