Dragons
1 Year Before Albert's Exile
Cave of Pyrog, Avernum
Ribaldi hurled another javelin at Pyrog while Nathan and Derek tried to get in a good hit on its flanks. Even Derek's strength wasn't penetrating the scales much, but both of them were causing injury to the dragon, and it was often trying to get its claws on Derek. The creature, of course, was incredibly intelligent, and it kept its eyes on the other humans as well, which is why Ribaldi felt his legs pumping to avoid the fire it hurled back at him - but his back still took a terrible burn.
Warren wondered what sound the dragon was making, almost too much to tumble forward properly as it suddenly spat fire at him. Then it spoke, and he knew it was laughter.
"Humansss!" Pyrog chuckled as he raked Derek with a hind leg, thankfully with only a glancing blow. "Your hair is dissgusssting, but I love ssmoking your meat in it!" He had whipped his tail at Nathan, in what turned out to be a maneuver to force him closer to Pyrog's head. Pyrog's teeth snapped just inches from Nathan's face as he hurriedly scrambled back, but this time Pyrog's tail caught him on the shoulder, so he grunted in pain.
Some time later, the adventurers returned from the rear caverns where they had been looting the dragon's treasure. Coming back to its main cavern, they took a moment to gaze on its corpse.
"We didn't really manage that, did we?" Warren asked.
"We've gotten stronger," Derek said, looking meaningfully at Nathan.
Ribaldi, staring sternly at Pyrog's corpse, stated, "God did not wish for this creature to go on with its murders."
Derek suggested, "Maybe this is a sign. Maybe God doesn't want Grah-Hoth to go on with his murders."
Ribaldi said thoughtfully, "Or Emperor Hawthorne to go on with his." He fingered the chalcedony brooch that had been among the dragon's treasures. Once they had gathered the other brooches, they'd be so much closer to smiting an emperor who had caused so much suffering.
Nathan said to them all, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, I said once we're strong enough to take down Pyrog, we would next try to help with whatever's gone wrong at the Tower of Magi. One step at a time."
Warren sighed. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this. Now we're dragonslayers, too."
Nathan stuffed in most of his own sigh and said, "Remember, Warren, you have to let us know where your great brain has carried you before you say things."
Warren gesticulated, "We're dragonslayers, carrying a legendary blade (Demonslayer, in case you forgot,)" (Derek rolled his eyes, but Warren continued,) "and now we seem to be going on epic quests. Kill Grah-Hoth. Kill the emperor. Kill something in the Tower of Magi nobody wants to talk about. I don't want to run around killing things. I don't want everyone knowing who I am."
Derek asked with lifted eyebrow, "Because you're light-fingered?"
"Can you prove it?" Warren challenged.
"If you respond like that, I don't have to," Derek replied.
Without further response, Warren returned to his original train of thought, "I don't care about going down in history, I care about not going down today."
Nathan responded, "We're doing that by being careful. By not biting off more than we can chew. I didn't set out to be a hero, either, and if a hero is somebody who never gets hurt or tired, and can win in any situation, and always does the right thing - well, we all know we aren't heroes. But killing things is the best way we've found to earn money. Doesn't say a lot about us, but it's true. Let's at least make it so we kill things that make life worse for other folk." He was running out of things to say that he hadn't said already, and Warren looked unconvinced still, so he finally said, "Besides, Warren, think of all the places we still have to go to win these fights. We just might find a way to escape."
Warren groaned, "I'll say it, I'll say it - you're right." He gave a cynical grin and commented, "This work does pay well, even if I do keep almost dying."
15 Years After Albert's Exile
Sulfras' New Lair, Surface
A dragon curved her great neck down to peer at Albert, Frruh, Sschass, and Helen. "Ah, come in, Avernites. What brings you to the lair of Sulfras?" She smiled toothily.
"Wise Sulfras," Sschass said, stepping forward. "Greetings to you. We have come with a sad mission. We found something in the strange factory which made the giant roaches plaguing the island of Bigail. There were dragon scales there. Mages of Avernum have confirmed this. It is our sad duty to ask whether you or any of your siblings have been the ones to make the monsters."
The dragon chuckled, "Ah, well met, conquerors! So you were able to stop the roaches, as you were the slimes." Albert blinked, and Sulfras's smile widened. "I have my ways of finding things out. My siblings and I preceded you to the surface, but we weren't hasty. We looked before we came, and we keep our eyes open here."
Albert swallowed back his impatience with a realistic glance at the dragon's bulk. If he had to fight her, he would - but not for nothing. He finally said, "Sulfras, we aren't here to blame you, but our commander expects us to return with an answer."
Sulfras pulled back her head. "You think you've seen the problems on the surface, don't you? There's more you must see. Go to the small cave, just off this one, behind me. Kill the creatures you find there. Then you will know my answer."
"What are those things?" Sschass asked in astonishment, glancing at Albert.
"They have no name," Albert said slowly. "They don't - there's nothing like them, they shouldn't exist."
They were most like wolves, coats of grey and black - but wolves with heads on the level of a tall man's, with enormous jaws and long teeth. Their bodies were rippling with muscle and set on six powerful legs. The beasts were contained, but immediately ready to attack the adventurers the moment they set foot in the smaller cave. They had, as Albert discovered to his disgust, heads that could swivel impossibly on their necks, the better to tear at their prey.
Afterwards, Albert was leaning against a rock wall, even after Helen healed his wounds. They were all gasping for breath - and that was after fighting only three.
Sulfras commented, "You see now what lies ahead. Much further ahead, in northern Valorim. But ahead. They are quite possibly the reasons why the Empress left her throne to personally resolve the matter, though perhaps the troglodytes or giants would've convinced her, too."
Albert sucked in a breath. The Empress had come to this backwater continent?
But Sulfras was continuing, "I captured those alien beasts on a hunting expedition. And if you can convince my siblings to help, we will forge you a weapon to help fight them. In any case, you have the answer of the dragons, and you may take it to your commander."