Final Rest
Image generated by Ai
Lieutenant Marwind follows the shadowy specter deeper into the cavern, as he does it grows darker the further in, he goes.
“What is it that you want from me? I have done as you asked thus far and answered your riddles completing the tasks you’ve given me,” he asks the specter who merely points further into the cavern.
Marwind lets out a heavy sigh and marches into a low-lit chamber, it is illuminated by blueish green flames from hanging and magically floating braziers, along the walls and ceiling.
The colors give an eerie look to the chamber, and the only thing he can hear as he enters is his own heavy boot steps until he stops in the middle of the chamber. He turns to the specter once more.
“All right specter now that you’ve brought me vhere what is it that you wish to show or tell me?” He yells into the surrounding darkness just outside the lights range.
The specter does not say a word and disappears into the shadows confusing the lieutenant. Up until this point the specter has given him riddles to solve for his training, but this time it was different, for some reason it has remained silent.
As Marwind tries to find the specter again the ground beneath his feet begins rumbling and shifting violently knocking him to one knee. That is when he hears the sound of clashing at first then gnashing and finally rattling of bones surfacing up into the chamber.
To his horror a reanimated skeletal dragon emerges from the ground with a hissing roar of the undead, he quickly turned running trying to exit by the way he entered with the rattle then the grind of stone, the door to the chamber closes, cut off from escape. He pressed his back to it and grunted trying to push the massive stone open, but he was trapped.
The dragon snarls in his direction with a hiss and charges forward, seeing his enemy closing in, Marwind arms himself with his great sword, gripping it with both hands he swings it aiming for one of the undead dragon's front legs.
As the sword connects with the solid bone of the creature it shatters leaving behind only the hilt and handle in Marwind’s hands. And
In those first moments after his weapons destruction, the distraught warrior gazed at what remained of it in his hand. As the undead dragon crashes into the wall, the concussive force hurls the warrior into the middle of the chamber.
He lands tumbling kicking up debris and other skeletal remains into the air. When Marwind looks at his immediate area he sees bones of many fallen predecessors scattered throughout the chamber.
“What will you do now Marwind of Solis? Will you perish? Or will you succeed in defeating that which has already dead?” The specter’s voice fills the chamber as Marwind searches the remains and rubble for something to defend himself with.
The undead dragon quickly turns and raises its head opening its mouth; its eyes glow brightly as does the inside of its mouth. Marwind hesitates for a moment then tries to dodge the breath weapon.
The undead dragon spews forth a concoction of not only acid breath but undead ichor from its mouth, the cone of attack is wide and some lands on Marwind hitting his left arm causing him to howl out in pain as it ages before him nearly rending it useless.
“I see you are not fairing much better than the others before you,” the specters voice bounces off the caverns walls as the undead dragon stalks him like a snake about to devour a rat.
“You wish me to perish is that it specter? I will not go down so easily!” Marwind yells back into the darkness, his eyes shifting looking for anything to fight back with. The ground trembles from the dragon's footsteps as it approaches.
Marrwind punches the ground in frustration, he hears a soft metal grind, when he looks down, he sees a worn hand axe, as he picks it up, he sees the dragon's reflection it’s about to release another breath attack!
He lunges out of the way this time he is successful in his evasion but not the floor and the remains are not so fortunate. They start melting from the concoction emitting toxic vapors into the chamber.
Marwind stares the dragon down, a glint suddenly catches his eye around where the stomach is. He tries to focus on it as the dragon hisses and growls in his direction, its reddish eyes piercing through the darkness.
Marrwind charges at the undead creature at full speed with a mighty battle cry, now knowing what he must do. The undead dragon charges in response to the attack and raises its head to unleash another breath weapon volley.
As the dragon head lowers, Marwind throws the axe hitting the undead creature in the eye making its attack release go sideways, he slides under the dragon and picks up a worn sword from one of the skeletons under it, gripping the handle tightly with both hands he quickly poises himself and leaps up, thrusting the sword forward into the glinting piece of the dragon.
With an echoing clang Marwind’s thrust hits a metallic piece embedded in the dragon’s bone, with a mighty grunt and twist of the worn sword taking all his strength, he dislodges a shining great sword. He grabs it and falls back down to the stone floor and rolls out of the way as the dragon swipes at him.
“Specter, you asked me what I will do earlier, I WILL SURVIVE!” Marwind cried as he charged and leaped slicing at the dragon's neck severing the bone loping the undead dragon's head off making it crash to the stone floor of the cavern.
The specter at first gasped and grabs at his chest as if in tremendous pain falling to one knee,
“Well done warrior... you are the first in over a millennium to defeat what remained of my body...” the specter spoke.
“Who are you?” Marwind asked
“I am Luthbrok the former king of the dragons, who lead my kind during the Dragonic war. My soul and remains were bound here by a sorcerer after the war, but now,” Luthbrok’s hand touches the great sword in Marwind’s hand, “I bestow on to you Dragoon, a sword made from the very bone of my body, let it light guide you on your path warrior,” he bows to Marrwind.
With a tear rolling down his cheek Marrwind salutes Luthbrok as he watches his soul pass on into the ether of the afterlife.
The stone door grinds as it opens, before Marrwind leaves the ancient chamber he erects a large stone and carves into it,
Here lies the Dragon king, let his name forever be known to the annals of time Luthbrok the life Brininger.
Marwind, then salutes the memorial he has created softly saying a prayer for Luthbrok’s safe passage, he then turns quietly and leaves the chamber weapon in hand.