While the sun set, in the Vallenwood forest, a large blue dragon was resting. Near her was a large nest with eight eggs, each the size of a fully-grown man. The blue dragon sprung into the air and spread its wings, creating powerful bursts of air as she flapped her enormous wings, sending dead leaves and dirt swirling away from the nest.
As she soared over the forest, her keen eyesight could distinguish each individual tree. All were as big around as a giants chest, and almost as tall, too. The leaves were a dark green and large enough to completely cover an ogre.
During her flight, her scales shimmered a bright metallic blue, like a signal to anything within miles of her and the nest. When she left the forest towards the plains, the dwarves emerged from the brush somewhat near the nest.
“Watch your step, Quartz!” a gruff voice grumbled in a not so low whisper.
A second voice mumbled back, “Sorry, Granite.”
Ten short and stocky masses stepped into the light around the nest, looking intently at the eggs. Studying the dwarve, one would see that each one was from three and a half to four feet tall. All had beards, ranging in color from light brown to black.
They approached the nest, readying their assorted weapons. One of the dwarves brought his hammer down on an egg, shattering the shell and spilling the liquids out.
The large dragon returned in the middle of the slaughter. She saw the final egg smashed, and the insides oozed onto the ground. She roared as she noticed the still figures of the dwarves and swooped down into the forest. She heard the nearest dwarf yell, “It’s Cobolt! Run! Run for your lives!”
Cobolt turned towards the sound and shot a bolt of lightening from the deep chambers of her lungs and out her mouth. It struck the ground with a huge, magnificent explosion that threw the dwarves to the ground. Cobolt roared as she landed, she tore into a dwarf that was blinded by the blue light. With vengeance she killed six of her children’s murderers. When she saw no living dwarves, she returned to her nest to grieve the death of the unhatched wrymlings.
She heard laughter about one hundred yards from her. She looked in the direction of the noise with hatred.
“We did it, we did it, Granite!” Quartz said, with quite some glee.
Granite grumbled into his singed beard, “We ought to get back now, so hurry up, Quartz,” he felt his singedbeard, remembering the close call with the lightning.
Quartz looked down at the dwarf they were carrying between them, “I hope Brick is alright.”
“Brick is OK. Now hurry up!”
“Fine.”
They ran as fast as they could when they heard Cobolt roar at them again.
Origin story of Brick
The dragon, Cobolt, went out to find and kill: She demolished many villages in search of the dwarves that escaped. She came upon a large dwarven fortress built into the side of the mountain that it stood on. Made of black marble, it was nearly invisible in the shade of the mountain.
She could see the dwarves scrabling around the battlements as they noticed come near.
A call cut through the still air, “Dragon, hurry to the ballista, Dragon!”
All the dwarves heard the call and started to arm themselves with longbows and crossbows, and three ran to the ballista. Most of the arrows fired bounced off of Cobolt's scales, which were hard as steel, but a few managed to wedge between them into her skin. Cobolt roared in pain and anger as she charged through the air to the fortress.
“Look out Quartz!” Granite yelled.
Quartz and many other dwarves felt the dragon fear wash over their minds as she approached. They fell quivering in fright or stood stock still, looking up at the dragon, knowing death was near. Cobolt threw herself against the wall, putting all her weight into the blow. At least a score of dwarves fell from the battlements. She blasted the ballista with lightning first; knowing it was more dangerous than any dwarf alone.
The surviving dwarves were shocked back to reality and started to arm themselves with short swords, spears, and war hammers. Cobolt blasted lightning into their ranks as they tried to storm her.
She could see the dwarves scrabling around the battlements as they noticed come near.
A call cut through the still air, “Dragon, hurry to the ballista, Dragon!”
All the dwarves heard the call and started to arm themselves with longbows and crossbows, and three ran to the ballista. Most of the arrows fired bounced off of Cobolt's scales, which were hard as steel, but a few managed to wedge between them into her skin. Cobolt roared in pain and anger as she charged through the air to the fortress.
“Look out Quartz!” Granite yelled.
Quartz and many other dwarves felt the dragon fear wash over their minds as she approached. They fell quivering in fright or stood stock still, looking up at the dragon, knowing death was near. Cobolt threw herself against the wall, putting all her weight into the blow. At least a score of dwarves fell from the battlements. She blasted the ballista with lightning first; knowing it was more dangerous than any dwarf alone.
The surviving dwarves were shocked back to reality and started to arm themselves with short swords, spears, and war hammers. Cobolt blasted lightning into their ranks as they tried to storm her.
Still groggy, Brick stepped from the cot in the infirmary after hearing the call of an attack. He grabbed his spear and began in the direction of the courtyard. Still groggy, he did not realize that he was here for his own injuries. The only thought was how empty the hall seemed to be as entered it.
As Brick walked down the hall he heard voices from a side room. ‘The Captain is armoring himself, how bad is this attack?’ he thought to himself as he stood there unnoticed outside the room.
“Sir, squads sapphire and ruby are on the battlements now, the other two squads are killed completely. Should we retreat into the mountain?”
The rest of the report was ignored as Brick thought, ‘That means Quartz and Granite are dead, that damned dragon will pay!’
He continued to the courtyard with determination, his grip even tighter on the spear.
As Brick walked down the hall he heard voices from a side room. ‘The Captain is armoring himself, how bad is this attack?’ he thought to himself as he stood there unnoticed outside the room.
“Sir, squads sapphire and ruby are on the battlements now, the other two squads are killed completely. Should we retreat into the mountain?”
The rest of the report was ignored as Brick thought, ‘That means Quartz and Granite are dead, that damned dragon will pay!’
He continued to the courtyard with determination, his grip even tighter on the spear.
Quartz stood behimd one of the statues in the courtyard trying to catch his breath, the dragon still mauling the fortress. He risked a look from behind the statue to see how the other dwarves were doing, ‘Where is Granite, did he get hurt?’
He ducked back again as Cobolt jumped down from the walls into the courtyard. Quartz didn’t dare try to engage the dragon: he never picked up a melee weapon, and was stuck with his bow but no arrows. He saw Brick entered the courtyard from inside the mountain entrance, still wearing his bandages and no armor.
*************************************************************
Brick entered the courtyard, blinking at the change of lighting, still only thinking of revenge. ‘Granite, Quartz, Theodyn, Jasper, Faris, all dead. How can this be?’
“Cobolt!” As he yelled the dragon turned, “I will kill you for my friends that you killed!”
“And I will kill you for my children, Dwarf!”
Colbolt lunged with the intent of biting the man in half, but her jaws closed on nothing. Brick ducked and jumped forawd, inside of the dragon’s reach. He stabbed at her chest, reopening his wounds and breaking his spear on her harder-than-steeel scales. He looked down dumbfounded at his broken weapon, the head shattered and the haft snapped.
The dragon began to laugh at him, “Do you believe a stick like that can harm me, you ignorant dwarf?”
As the dragon taunted him, Granite had manged to work his way behind her on the battlements. He readied himself to jump, and offered a short prayer to Fydren, ‘Please, don’t let me screw this up!’
He grasped his own spear tightly and jumped from the wall towards Cobolt.
He ducked back again as Cobolt jumped down from the walls into the courtyard. Quartz didn’t dare try to engage the dragon: he never picked up a melee weapon, and was stuck with his bow but no arrows. He saw Brick entered the courtyard from inside the mountain entrance, still wearing his bandages and no armor.
*************************************************************
Brick entered the courtyard, blinking at the change of lighting, still only thinking of revenge. ‘Granite, Quartz, Theodyn, Jasper, Faris, all dead. How can this be?’
“Cobolt!” As he yelled the dragon turned, “I will kill you for my friends that you killed!”
“And I will kill you for my children, Dwarf!”
Colbolt lunged with the intent of biting the man in half, but her jaws closed on nothing. Brick ducked and jumped forawd, inside of the dragon’s reach. He stabbed at her chest, reopening his wounds and breaking his spear on her harder-than-steeel scales. He looked down dumbfounded at his broken weapon, the head shattered and the haft snapped.
The dragon began to laugh at him, “Do you believe a stick like that can harm me, you ignorant dwarf?”
As the dragon taunted him, Granite had manged to work his way behind her on the battlements. He readied himself to jump, and offered a short prayer to Fydren, ‘Please, don’t let me screw this up!’
He grasped his own spear tightly and jumped from the wall towards Cobolt.
Brick saw Granite jump and saw what he meant to do. Brick drew his dagger and waved it around.
“Oh, how frightening!” roared Cobolt, laughing even harder.
Quartz ran next to Brick, having finally retrieving an axe. “Get away, you fool!”
Cobolt’s head came between them as she attempted to bite them, pushing them apart. Brick was not able to regain his footing, to weak from the loss of blood. Quartz recovered quickly, landing a blow to the dragon’s jowls. She pulled her head back and roared in pain.
“You shall pa-“ were the last words of Cobolt. Granite finally maneuvered into position and thrust his spear between her scales and into her spine at the base of her neck.
Her body collapsed, her head landing next to Brick.
“You are near death too, are you not dwarf?” she asked in a whisper to the dwarf, “You will not die, you will live forever to feel the pain of my loss, and thus you are cursed!"
Brick fought to stay awake, unaware of his surrounds, but succumbed to the darkness.
************************************************************
Groggily, Brick sat up, ‘how long have I been asleep? What happened to my wounds?’
Looking up, he noticed it was night, but the stars looked very odd. Then he studied his surroundings more carefully, and found himself on the side of the road in a city, and a tavern across from him. He picked himself up and warily entered the common area.
He walked up to the nearest person and asked, “Where am I?”
“The Red Dragon Inn, in Rhydin.”
“Oh, how frightening!” roared Cobolt, laughing even harder.
Quartz ran next to Brick, having finally retrieving an axe. “Get away, you fool!”
Cobolt’s head came between them as she attempted to bite them, pushing them apart. Brick was not able to regain his footing, to weak from the loss of blood. Quartz recovered quickly, landing a blow to the dragon’s jowls. She pulled her head back and roared in pain.
“You shall pa-“ were the last words of Cobolt. Granite finally maneuvered into position and thrust his spear between her scales and into her spine at the base of her neck.
Her body collapsed, her head landing next to Brick.
“You are near death too, are you not dwarf?” she asked in a whisper to the dwarf, “You will not die, you will live forever to feel the pain of my loss, and thus you are cursed!"
Brick fought to stay awake, unaware of his surrounds, but succumbed to the darkness.
************************************************************
Groggily, Brick sat up, ‘how long have I been asleep? What happened to my wounds?’
Looking up, he noticed it was night, but the stars looked very odd. Then he studied his surroundings more carefully, and found himself on the side of the road in a city, and a tavern across from him. He picked himself up and warily entered the common area.
He walked up to the nearest person and asked, “Where am I?”
“The Red Dragon Inn, in Rhydin.”
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