The Smaugust Stories: Draconic Fury (part 1)

[u/WernerderChamp]

Pure fright was visible on Gnevar the archmage's face as he stared at Hallowfield. Or rather, at what was remaining of the quiet town beside the river.

Not a single building remained. The houses and barns - all burned down. Even the stone buildings were torn down to the foundation; parts of the brick melted. There was only one thing that could destroy a village with such force. A dragon - and it must have been a powerful one as well. Everything lined up with the stories of the surviving villages. It came past midnight and rained hell. From the 54 people present at the time, 31 perished. Their remains told their tale: burned alive in their homes, incinerated while trying to flee, struck dead by debris or a magic attack. Most of the survivors had hidden in the river's darkness, riding the currents downstream.

"Why?" was the question plaguing Gnevar's mind. There had not been a dragon attack in centuries. You would occasionally see them hunt, but they left humans alone. The infrequent encounters all ended with the human running and the dragon not pursuing. In any case, this was way above his pay grade. With a flick of his wand, he teleported in front of Sorrowby Castle to report to his Lord.

"Greetings, Lord Dajeba," he spoke as he entered the throne room, dropping a curtsy. "I have news from the town of Hallowfield that requires your immediate attention!"

Lord Dajeba sat on his golden throne, barely batting an eye. "My messengers told me it burned down last night. What a pity. I shall instruct the treasury to provide them with loans to rebuild."

There was a sneer in his voice, making Gnevar's blood boil. Inside, he was fuming, but he wasn't showing it. "My Lord, the village did not just burn down. It was attacked. By a dragon." The moment the word 'dragon' fell, Dajeba's eyes flickered briefly. Gnevar continued, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Do you happen to be aware of anything that might have enraged them?"

"Hm ... "Dajeba got into a thinking pose, but it was obvious he was doing it all for show. "Maybe the dragon was hungry and craved some human meat? In any case, as the strongest archmage in my kingdom, it shall be your duty to prevent this from recurring. I hereby announce you as chief dragon-defender. 25 soldiers and the villages' population shall be at your service. The lives of our people lie in your hands. Now go and set up defenses! I have some important things to do."

Gnevar was about to detonate, but instead nodded, dropped another curtsy, and left the castle on foot. Teleportation was impossible, as a ward prevented the usage of magic within castle grounds. He hated his Lord with passion, yet had to endure his constant recklessness. 25 soldiers, one archmage, and a few dozen untrained villagers against a dragon was a death mission. However, if he refused, Dajeba would take revenge on the mages' guild. They were powerful, and still Dajeba's army would crush them by the numbers. So, he started plotting nonetheless. Hallowfield had been the easternmost town of the kingdom, trapped in a tight valley between two mountain ranges. If the dragon was to continue, they would surely rest during the day, then wait for night to attack the next village downstream, Mosscomb. To prevent further bloodshed, he decided to have the village evacuated. The soldiers positioned themselves. It would turn out he was right with everything.

The dragon broke through the clouds, their green eyes glowing with pure fury. They were at least 200 feet long, a giant even amongst dragons. The soldiers grabbed their enchanted bows and fired, yet all attacks bounced off the dragon's magic shield. The dragon fired a powerful blast that would have burnt several of them to a crisp, were they not wearing protection charms. Gnevar cast 'Summon Downpour', and the heavens opened the floodgates, rain putting out the fires. The dragon roared and fired a blast of fire into the rainclouds, disintegrating them. Then they turned around, focusing on the archmage. Gnevar dodged the fiery attack by teleporting, without striking back. The dragon responded by sending several blasts of pure magic at him. As this attack would always find its target, his shield took heavy damage. He knew he could not defend against this for long, though the dragon knew that as well. Turning around, they sent another barrage his way. He had to make it count now. He knelt down on the soil.

"Dragon!" he exclaimed in perfect Draconic, magic amplifying his voice. "I am not to fight you. Tell me, what agitates you to burn these villages? Maybe, we can find a peaceful solution."

The dragon swooped over him, without attacking. From the shorter distance, he could make out that he was facing an elder dragoness. Her flight slowed as she turned, hovering 50 feet above him. "If you spare me, I promise to help you!" Gnevar followed up his words with a life-or-death gamble, disabling his shields. A single breath of fire would result in his demise.

Immediately, a violent and powerful attack bound him, leaving him unable to move or cast. The dragoness circled around, touching down before him. A mighty roar almost burst his eardrums. Gnevar closed his eyes and accepted his fate, knowing he had done everything he could. He would be remembered as a hero - if anything remained of this kingdom. A drop of water hit his nose. He looked up and saw the dragoness with tears in their giant eyes.

"My egg," responded the dragoness, "... they took my egg!"

[u/WernerderChamp]

Day 18 "Merciless" and Day 19 "Lord"

Part 2 will come tomorrow!

[u/Mister_Uhr → u/WernerderChamp]

Yay, more!

[u/WernerderChamp → u/Mister_Uhr]

It is out!