Chapter Text
I traveled northeast, deeper into the Whitefire Mountains and into the heart of fire giant territory. The lands here were cold and treacherous, but I was determined to find and raid one of the old Dwarven ruined that I knew were scattered through the area. It would be dangerous. These ancient caverns have been claimed by the giants, and it was more than likely that I'd have to kill one. This task of mine wasn't some whim, however. I needed to prove myself as a warrior to become one of the Scurria, as I had always dreamed.
My spider mount was well adjusted to the cold, but it eventually started to slow as we climbed higher and the snow grew thicker. I knew I would eventually be forced to stop and find shelter where the two of us could warm ourselves. It was then that I saw a cave ahead. I directed my spider toward the opening and then dismounted and led it inside. I walked slowly, looking around for any sign of danger, but all seemed clear. Anyway, the cave entrance had been too low for any giants to have wandered in. The thought crossed my mind briefly that there may be a dragon or similar creature lurking within, but I dismissed that as well. If there were a dragon in here, it would have to be young and weak. I doubted I had anything to worry about, and felt myself relax and my hand drifted away from where it twitched expectantly by my hand crossbow.
A few hundred feet into the cave, the tunnel suddenly widened and the walls smoothed. Tall pillars hewn from the cavern itself rose ominously in the air. Before me stood a wide and dusty set of double doors, one sealed shut and the other knocked askew from its hinges. I had stumbled upon one of the Dwarven ruins I had sought.
I sent my spider ahead of me and then followed behind it. The room behind the double doors was large and spacious. The statues decorating this great hall had collapsed with the passage of time, and a layer of dust coated most everything. The only thing that seemed to have been unaffected was a fountain bubbling clear water in the center of the room. I approached and knelt at the side of it, dipping my hands into the water. It felt cold enough that it should be frozen, but it wasn't. I cupped my hands in the liquid and scooped up water to drink. It was clean and refreshing, too much so to be any normal water. I knew then that I had stumbled upon some sort of magical fountain. It made sense. The Dwarves were known for their craftsmanship with magical items.
I slid my pack from my back and started to make a camp for myself in this place. There were doors leading onward, deeper into the ruins. However, I was well aware of the magics that the Dwarves had left behind, and if no giants or other creatures had been by to disturb the spells and traps left behind, I knew that I would want to be well rested before adventuring onward and triggering these things myself.
I settled into my bedroll beside the fountain and set my loaded hand crossbow beside me within easy reach. I then instructed my mount to keep watch before allowing myself to drift off to sleep.
I was awakened by my mount some time later, and I snatched up my crossbow and aimed at the open entryway door. Something moved beyond it. This something had heavy foot steps, and I heard claws clink and scrape across the stone.
I was crouched, poised and ready to strike the moment this beast came into view. My breathing was shallow and shaky, and my pulse raised in my ears.
What appeared was a small white dragon, no bigger than a large dog. I snorted and lowered my crossbow. “You could have handled that yourself,” I muttered to my spider. “Something like that wouldn't be anything more than a snack to you.” The dragon looked in our direction and spread its wings in what I assumed was supposed to be a menacing gesture. I raised my crossbow again and fired a bolt, quickly reloading my weapon before the first shot had even struck. The missile bounced harmlessly off the creature's thick scales, and the dragon let loose a roar before it charged.
I swore and fired off another bolt before dodging to hide behind the fountain. My spider scurried off in the other direction, hoping to keep the beast's attention on just one of us so the other could attack it from the rear. Predictably, the dragon honed in on me, the smaller of us. It took a deep breath, and on the exhale, an icy gust of wind buffeted me. I raised my arms and staggered backward. Frost clung to my clothes, and I gasped as the heat was sucked from my body. Something was very wrong. This was not the breath of a young dragon.
I was certain I might easily have been killed by the cold if its breath hadn't abruptly halted. I fell to my knees and looked up to see my spider grappling with the tiny dragon. My spider attempted to bite the dragon, but found that its fangs couldn't penetrate its hide. The dragon clawed and bit at the tarantula that towered over it, but it couldn't break through my mount's hard carapace.
My numb fingers struggled to load another bolt in my crossbow, but my shivering made this task nearly impossible. Eventually, I tossed the weapon to the side and drew my rapier instead. As I approached, the dragon let loose another blast of cold, and my spider flinched away from the chilled air and ran.
I charged the dragon then as best I could with my sword out and ready. The dragon turned to face my and slashed at me with its claws, tearing through my thick, winter clothing and rending my flesh. I staggered, weapon dropping from my hand, and collapsed.
When I next awoke, I was laying in my bedroll and shivering violently – from cold or fever or both. I felt a puff of cool wind on my face and peeled open my eyelids to see the dragon's face just inches from my own. It pulled its head back as soon as it had gotten this proof that I was indeed awake and curled in on itself by my side. “My name is BoneSigh,” it said in the Bronzeman language. Its voice was high and squeaky, even for a young dragon. “If you survive this, I'll keep you. You fight well. I could have some use for you as a protector.”
I felt too weak to remain conscious, and closed my eyes once more. As I drifted back into a dark oblivion, I thought to myself how it might be best if I just died.
When I next woke up, my wounds had begun to close and my chills had subsided. I was unfortunately going to survive.