The wind howled viciously through the cracked and crumbled landscape, it was stark and cold, the air constantly bleak and foul steams stinking of sulfur burst out of the ground at irregular times. A troop of dwarves were sitting on the side of a large stark hill, huddled as they protected themselves from the cold by constantly rubbing their chests and legs, they were a hardy looking sort and they better would be for this was the Withered Heath, north of the Grey Mountains.
They did not resemble the common dwarf, these seemed altogether more desperate , more poor and less prideful. All except one whom resembled a young prince of his people for his was still mostly clean and his armour was of prime quality contrary to the equipment of the others. This one was called Greri and he spoke for the fourth time his high voice full of glee and fire, but also a tad arrogant perhaps, "I do not mind to tell you that my family has a long line of warriors in the Drake-guard, we tend to have a knack at getting through alive in the terms of service, hee! We are after all the-" "We heard you the first time.", the dwarf named Gurni answered with a gruff look in the hope to keep the youth quiet. "Indeed, but then I wonder why I can not be allowed to receive a better place in the fight and twice the rations. The guard would owe that to my fath-" Some stared to the youth, some with a bit of compassion while others did with mild disgust, the wisest did not bother at all to pay attention. Then one of the most grizzled looking dwarves rose his deep voice, his visor was raised and revealed an ugly old face that was full of cracks like the landscape, "You will be in the back line like all the newcomers. Now keep your lips sealed before I -do- give you what you want.", Trurg had spoken.
It sparked small lights in Greri's eyes and he seemed to goad the leader straight into doing just that, but a scout appeared, he was slim for a dwarf and his blonde beard was covered in filth, but then so they all were except Greri. "Hald, what news?" The scout's eyes went from left to right and then he spoke slowly , his missing teeth being visible now, spittle sometimes shot through the gap, "She is coming, with her young brood." "Big?", asked Greri with excitement! The scout took a look at the new beard in the the crew and he shook his head. No dwarf seemed content or unhappy to hear the news, only of them let out a weary sigh and rubbed the bags beneath his grey eyes. Trurg looked with meaning and Hald continued, "They are going straight into the trap, they should be clambering up the hill in a short while.. You will hear them for sure." Trurg nodded, "Up we go dwarrows." And with all manner of specialized equipment they began their steep climb.
They bore all manner of weaponry, the most common were pikes with thick chains and axes that would have even be ridiculous to wield for themselves, but they still did with effort. Sweat mingled with soot. They were surprisingly or perhaps unsurprisingly lightly armoured. Chain mail tightly kept beneath thick leather covered in oil that smelled horrible were the order of the day, aside Greri in his fine thick armour and a few that practically went in their tunics and trousers only.
They made it to the top.
Thick round boulders stood there and varying poles and planks of thick sturdy wood. A hissing like a hot sword dipped in a bucket of cool water then filled their ears and for a moment they just believed it was another geyser of steam coming out of the ground, but it was not. Greri had heard many stories of his father and grandfather, against their will he had joined up with the guard, hoping to kill a dragon aswell like they had done and take back a tooth or a scale. Their work paid very very good, but he had no real need of the coin himself, his family was rather rich really. One of the richest atleast at home. He just wanted to make his father proud, but all thoughts of fame vanished as he looked below. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw down there climbing up the hill, their way..
A monstrous serpentine creature set it's clumsy paws into the stark earth and slithered it's way up along with a few of it's smaller kin, they weren't very visible in the sulfurous smog, but their bulk was enough to instill a deep primal fear in Greri. Hald rose a hand.. it showed four fingers, but then shook his head and rose the hand that still had all five of them.
"Five dragons..", Greri thought.
They all lay still as field mice waiting for the snake to slither away, except then that the large beasts came their way! It was when they were halfway that Trurg suddenly shouted, "Roll the stones!" The dwarves hastened up and set their shoulders against the large boulders, it took them a while to move the things and the serpentines hastened their pace as they took note of prey on the hill! Long thin tongues liked razor sharp rows of teeth!
The dwarves pushed with all their strength and eventually momentum was gained, the trap was sprung so to speak and all went tumbling down on the beasts as they were dragged back to the foot of the hill. They belched their foul breathe instinctively and roared in pain, fear, but mostly anger as they were buried in stone and more stone. With dwarvish speed did the troop rush down the hill and divided without need of command in several groups. Three of the monsters yet lived and like small maggots tormenting an ancient deity, so did the dwarves took heavy mattocks and began wielding them upon the scaly hide of the beasts to pierce it. Incessantly beating down like skilled miner teams would to make a tunnel. Trying to expose the soft meat beneath, while others hurled the pikes skillfully to the maws to trap them with the thick iron chains. To Greri it appeared a perfect ambush, no dwarf had fallen and soon a few drakes would be dead! He had been in this place for two months only and already he could get a scale and go home!
It was hours later only that they managed to kill the smaller brood, the greatest it's hide could simply not be pierced by the look of it. The teams frantically beating down upon it, faces, shoulders and backs dripping with sour sweat. Had Greri not known better, he would have thought the beast was hissing in laughter! Perhaps it was? He ran to Trurg who stood there, patiently awaiting while chewing on a tough biscuit.. his eyes slid to the youth and he nodded, "Now you know the danger of hunting these things." "Let us run then? We got some time left before it can free itself!", panic was in his voice. The monster hissed even harder as it likely heard it. A chain around it's maw snapped and a twitch went through the dwarves as in a wave. Trurg shook his head slowly, "No it has smelled us and would outrun or find us sooner or later. We take our chances here and now. "But..", it seemed utter madness to him!
The beast may not share it's with with the Great Dragons, but it was cunning and no less vile of temper. Mercy was not a concept it understood, particularly not with those that dared make an attempt on it's life. It was no avail and a chance of tactics followed, "Volunteers needed!", Trurg yelled! Out of the entire troop only five came forth, "Drori , Azur, Belli, Nogur and Stur, you lot volunteer aswell!", the leader said. With grim courage they followed the call and were given large thick spears except for Azur and Stur who were taking up very large shields that they had to hold up with both hands.
They moved in front of the chained maw of the beast, it's eyes were full of horrible wrath as it wriggled fiercely to get free. Perhaps it knew what they were trying to do! The dwarves lowered their long thick spear as they took cover behind the shields, the beast wriggled and more chains snapped! The vile thing! One of it's claws swiftly came out of the rocks and swiped at them! It must have had it's leg free the entire time and pretended weakness! Both shield bearers were cast aside like ragdolls, the shields splintering in a hundred pieces!
The dwarves did not flee, they rushed from all sides to it's head! "Go!", Belli's voice yelped and with stubbornness they struck for the beast it's throat and chest! They struck true and they pierced deeply, it was then that disaster struck and the last chains broke apart in a rain of iron rings! Immediately the monster's maw burst with it's foul breathe, engulfing the crew members in it! Greri involuntarily threw himself flat on his belly!
Trurg had not wasted his time, he swiftly and quietly moved on it's neck. The hard scale masking his presence there! Dwarves were resilient and hardy, but this was the calm gained from experience. To his horror Greri realized that he must have gotten used to this! The monstrous thing now wanted to break free completely and it bit around itself to get out of the rock fall. Two more dwarves were cast away by it's whipping tail! Then Trurg ended it and with a large broad sword he had kept on him he grabbed one of the spinal horns on it's snout and nimble as a cat he jumped up. The beast reared it's head up now and the last thing it's large eye could see was the image of the ugly heavy dwarf jumping straight into it, ramming the sword deep into matter. The head flopped down instantly as the iron struck it's brain.
It was two days later back at the abandoned mine that they had made camp at when Trurg approached Greri, "Now you know what happens here. This is no place for the rich and the prosperous.", he offered the boy a glass jar of the eyematter, all others grinned, "If you have been truthful this shall be enough to convince your father that you helped in felling a few drakelings. Now off with you."
Greri looked at the jar, .. he looked as if he wanted to say something, but he could not. He bowed down his head, "At your service master Trurg."
Then without getting or atleast without waiting for an answer he left and went south to safer havens.
