Goddess's Manuscript (III)

Goddess's Manuscript (III) is a Quest Item obtained during the Event World Quest Narration Footnotes in Summertide Scales and Tales.

Text[]

...
Galileo and Alberto did many good deeds
again today. Though it was most tiring
to help the old lady on the bridge
move her barrels of hard apple cider,
they each got a small barrel as their
reward.
The moonlight was unobstructed
and beautiful, and the two good
friends climbed up the high wall that had
been built to stave the evil dragon off.
Alberto lost the rock-paper-scissors match,
so he had to hold the barrel of
cider under the crook of his arm
as they climbed the ladder.
"Look, this is the big house
that our chubby chief was so proud of!
Doesn't look so big from here, huh?"
said Alberto
as he looked at the house.
"You're wrong. That's my home,"
said Galileo.
"The chief's house is that one."
Alberto's night vision was not all
that good, and moonlight
could never compare to daylight.
If one were to close one's eyes,
the light could not be seen at all.
He tried a little harder, but
could discern nothing more.
"But it's also really small,"
Galileo continued, "so there's
nothing wrong with your statement."
Galileo and Alberto were both
rather perceptive
people. Galileo's reply covered
for Alberto's
ciscomfort regarding his poor vision,
while Alberto also lost
the rock-paper-scissors match on purpose,
so that he could carry
the cider barrel, because
the gears under Galileo's ribs
were injured.
"Here's to you."
The two friends raised a toast
once Alberto stuffed a cork
back into the barrel.

The next day, the two
gathered everyone in the village
plaza.
First, they apologized for the collapse
of the anti-dragon wall, and told
all the people that they were preparing
to have a talk with the evil dragon.
"I know it was a lot of work for
everyone to fix that wall, but we're
not that fussed about it anyway,"
the chubby chief said, "but are you
sure you're not bragging when you say
you knocked it down yourselves?"
Of course, that was not the chief's point.
He too was a good
person. He continued, "Also,
it's too dangerous
to seek the dragon out."
"Don't worry about us."
And so, the two best friends
in the whole world departed.

The evil dragon trembled
before Alberto and Galileo.
For some reason, the old lady's liquor
could make people
grow very, very large.
That was how they accidentally squashed
the high walls the previous night.
As they gazed down at the ground far below,
they more or less understood
how the dragon thought.
No wonder it could accidentally
destroy the village at its feet. So
as long as they could
get the dragon to notice
people, they could surely
come to an understanding.
The two friends thus drank
all the remaining magic cider, becoming
even larger than the dragon
by a good margin.
Reeking of alcohol, they sandwiched
the dragon between them, and drunkenly
tried reas█ni█g with it.
The drag█n ██riveled up in terror,
all of its m███sty and fell aura
forever gone, indeed,
it even looked kind of pitiful.
Alberto attempted to pick dirt
off the scales on the dragon's back,
but wound up picking off an entire scale.
The dragon sought to flee,
But Galileo, fearing that the crisis might
persist for ten thousand years more
if the misunderstanding was not cleared up,
tugged its tail and dragged it right back.
"To be honest, we've always lived
under your feet, but we
are far too small, so you may not have ever
seen us. Now, we've transformed and
become *burp* big." Galileo said, "So now,
surely, you must know
that we dwell at your feet."
The dragon nodded repeatedly.
And thus did the two and the dragon
chat all night, and believing
the goal of mutual understanding
achieved, the two set off
along the road home.

A.A.

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