Dragon Wolf Hero
Chapter 10
Vor was content and refused to leave the room.
Sennranor pulled Vor off the piles of wonderous treasures multiple times, but he continued to return, climbing to the top of the heap.
Wilstra turned to leave the treasure vault. “The human mind is dominated by the dragon mind. The king is lost in his need for these treasures. I will continue alone.”
Sennranor watched the dwarf step into the main hall of the treasure vault room and considered her options. “The human mind is a simple matter, but the dragon mind?” She tested the king with a challenge.”Did you need these treasures to become the king of the north?”
Vor replied. “I fear loosing these wonders to the dark destruction of the monsters.”
Sennranor climbed the treasure pile and studied a silver sword with a series of runes in a spiral pattern on the blade. “Vor, choose one treasure to keep and leave this room.”
Vor took the sword and studied the blade. “I want to stay here.”
“No.”
“But why?”
“Because we need to save the world.”
“But why?”
“Because I said so.”
The ground shook and the walls cracked. The doors fell to the ground with a loud snap of the hinges and the treasures fell like an avalanche into the main hall. The surrounding treasure rooms collapsed and the entrance to the hall was blocked.
Sennranor grabbed the human at her side and and pushed him down the mountain of wonders until they reached the center of the main hall. “We need to find Wilstra and get out of this dungeon.”
Vor rushed out of the treasure room and searched for an open tunnel to escape. The silver sword began to glow a deep blue pushing the clouded thoughts of dragon greed and overwhelming need for treasure to the back of his mind. The ceremonial sword at his waist was decorative and not strong enough to continue battling the monsters in the dungeon, and he was still wearing the uniform of a king and general of the northern kingdom.
Sennranor was shouting for the king to return when he raced back to the treasure room as the walls began to collapse.
Vor realized the silver sword was his best chance of survival and look through the treasure room for a suitable large scabbard. He found one with a long leather strap and slung the treasure across his shoulder to hang across his back like the sword of a hero in his former life. The memories of a fantasy movie he watched in his youth brought a smile to his face. “Wilstra is the hero of the dwarven kingdom, fighting to restore a nation. So I could become the hero of the human world.”
Vor greeted the elf warrior with a casual comment when as he ran to the narrow tunnel the dwarf chose when she left the treasure vault area. “I had time to grab a pile of treasure! Why are you so worried?” The ceiling fell inches from the king as he dodged falling debris.
Sennranor took the king by the hand, raced to the front and dragged him into a narrow tunnel as the ceiling blocked the passage behind them, sealing the treasure rooms under a ton of rubble. “Humans are fagile creatures, like pottery and much too easy to break. Anyway, I saved you from the confusion caused by dragon greed.”
“Do you like me?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
The walls glowed blue as monsters formed almost as quickly as they could defeat them and continue to run ahead of the collapsing tunnel. The two headed snake filled the width of the tunnel, but Wilstra used a battle axe and cleared the path.
“No.”
“So then why save me?”
Sennranor steadied her arm for airborn attack of a small group of slimes, dropped from the cieling by the earthquakes. “Eohnin wants me to bring you to the island of Illam. I’m here to remove the dragon transformation magic,” said the elf warrior. “The dungeon is your fault.”
“How was I to know the magic worked on humans? The circle was in the dwarven kingdom.”
Sennranor stopped running when they reached the opening to another large cavern. “My brother seems to think the great mage will agree to help restore the magic circles.”
Vor sat down to rest. “Are you going to answer the question?”
“No, I refuse. I think you want me to return to the surface and let you go on this adventure alone. The dwarf hero Wilstra can guide you to the dragons, but she is too weak to protect you.”
“I think you like me.”
Sennranor turned and swung at a three headed snake as it crashed through the wall of the narrow tunnel. She could hear Wilstra calling to them from a wood planked bridge in a large open cavern and decided to push the human out of the narrow tunnel and hold back the snake until the ceiling collapsed on the long slithering body.
Vor stumbled onto the bridge as Wilstra pulled a lever near the small guard tower in the center of a shallow ravine. The bridge turned and rotated away from the small tunnel. “Sennranor!”
The warrior elf turned to look and realized the bridge was quickly moving too far to reach, even with a long running start before the jump.
Wilstra called out. “The human is mine.”
Vor raced to the guard tower and tried to move the lever, then realized he was in danger and stepped through the door of the guard tower as the warrior elf rode the middle head of the three headed snake across the ravine.
The long body of the snake crossed the gap and reached the guard tower, coiling under the planks of the bridge in a long spiral around the tower. The snake appeared content.
Sennranor reached the human and looked impressed with her ability to tame monsters. “The snake was running from the earthquake to return to her nest. The guard tower is home.”
Vor looked down wide-eyed at the powerful snake resting below his feet. “Sennranor…”
“What?”
“The Vor you see on the bridge is an illusion. Run.”
The bridge started to move and the snake was furious. The three heads smashed the planks and destroyed the bridge.
The warrior elf climbed onto the back of the snake and leaped across the ravine, falling onto a narrow outcropping of rock and into the waiting arms of the king. “I owe you an apology, the real you is not nearly as handsome as the illusion. I should have known better.” She pulled free then searched for a tunnel leading to the dungeon core.
© J. Bateman
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