Fire and Ice Part I

In a settlement on the northern bluffs of the Azerlisia Mountains…..

"What story would you like to hear today, Wortig?" asked Esruna as she gazed warmly at the young child tucked away in a large pelt of mammoth fur.

Wortig was around the size of a bear, with blu-ish white skin and messy albino hair. He gazed back up eagerly at the towering figure of his mother, whose head almost brushed against the roof of the massive hut in which they resided.

"The Tale of the Lizard, the Dwarf and the Fire Dragon!" the boy immediately exclaimed.

Esruna pursed her lips. "I've told you this story many times. Are you-"

"The Tale of the Lizard, the Dwarf and the Fire Dragon!" Wortig insisted again.

His mother sighed. "Very well."

"Once upon a time, a great wizard cast an enchantment over a city covered in fire. As long as the wizard was alive, the people of the city would be able to live amidst the heat in peace."

"But one day, the wizard died, and the people began to feel the heat of the flames once again. It was only a matter of time before the enchantment fully broke. However, a brave dwarf decided to journey into the land of fire and retrieve the core of an ancient flame dragon. He believed that this core would bring the enchantment back to life."

"The brave dwarf was laughed at as a fool by the other dwarves. They called him weak and soft. But the dwarf refused to give up, and asked for the help of a dear friend-the lizard. Together, they journeyed into the deep hot places, carrying nothing but two black cubes and their weapons. For months they disappeared..."

"The people thought they had failed. They began to lose hope and started to leave the city of fire, but at last the dwarf returned. However, he was different now; the quest had changed him. They say fire flickered from his big black beard and his eyes shone like-"

"Esruna!" interrupted a sudden booming voice from outside the large hut. "Stop wasting time with those stupid stories and get our boy to sleep! We need every fighter we can muster!"

An expression of mixed anger and annoyance flickered across Esruna's face. "How do you expect me to get him to sleep if I don't tell the stories?!" she yelled back.

She quickly ruffled the hair of her son, who now had a disgruntled expression on his face, before heading out of the hut where her husband, Klytius, the chieftain of the Kra-kuth tribe, was waiting.

Esruna angrily approached the male Frost Giant. "Surely we don't need everyone?"

Klytius grimaced, shaking his head. "Based on the reports of the survivors from the other tribes, it's not looking good. The Dominion has left us alone for decades, but now they've finally come for us. I came back here to check on you briefly, but now I must go back to the frontline."

Esruna watched, her brows furrowed with concern, as Klytius turned and made his way back to the gate of the settlement. With her glacial eyes, she scanned her surroundings. Every capable Frost Giant had come out from their huts in preparation for the impending attack.

Wary ice-blue eyes scanned the skies as the giants tightened their massive grips upon the great hunting spears that had struck terror throughout the Azerlisia Mountains for many years.

But this time, it was the giants' turn to feel the tingling sensation of fear as a faint silvery dot emerged in the distant sky.

"INCOMING!!!" bellowed Klytius over at the gate. The massive demi-human's long, unkempt snow-white hair rippled under the icy mountain gales as he yelled to his brethren, aiming his giant spear at the distant silver speck as he did so.

The rest of the Frost Giants followed, their giant blue frames moving in unison like great ice statues coming alive. A dozen or so giant spear tips were now pointed in the direction of the sky; several of the giants in the back even wielded massive greatbows that were now drawn in preparation to fire at a moment's notice.

It was a formidable scene. Over a dozen giants wielding weapons as tall as castle walls stood ready for battle, but for some reason not a single one of the massive demi-humans wore anything but deep worry on their faces.

Suddenly, another silver dot emerged in the distant sky. And then another….and another. Several seconds later, the giants could see a total of five such silver shapes flying towards them.

Klytius grimaced. There had been a time when the sighting of Frost Dragons ignited their battle spirit and excitement, but now…

The silver silhouettes finally drew close enough for the giants to properly behold. Dragons that rivalled even the giants in size flapped their great wings as they soared towards the settlement. The worry on the giants' faces deepened as they observed the plates of white metal fastened atop the sky-blue scales of the dragons. The scales and metal blended together almost seamlessly as they shone with a dazzling gleam in the icy light of the snowy skies.

Before, the giants had laughed at the idea of armored dragons. Dragon scales were extremely tough, and the Frost Giants were one of the handful of races capable of breaking through their defense using sheer strength and tenacity. The idea that pieces of metal could do a superior job was laughable.

But lately, more and more rumors about the armor's true purpose had reached the settlement…..too many to be simple hearsay.

"Now!!!" yelled Klytius, his thunderous voice shaking the very earth as it echoed throughout the settlement.

A volley of huge spears and arrows flew into the air towards the Frost Dragons. The sharp tips of the massive projectiles glinted ominously in the sunlight like an unstoppable barrage, yet not a single look of relief or triumph could be found on the faces of the giants.

Klytius gazed unblinkingly at the incoming Frost Dragons.

Please let the rumors be false….

A brief glimmer of hope dawned on his face as the first of the projectiles reached the closest Dragon, who did nothing to swerve away or avoid the attack.

But his hope soon disappeared as he heard a powerful voice echoing from atop the dragon just before the incoming spears and arrows could connect.

[Ascu]

Klytius's heart sank as he saw a red sigil begin to glow upon the white metal plates on the Dragon's body.

The air around the glowing rune on the Dragon's armor shimmered with an ethereal power. An invisible force knocked back the barrage of spears and arrows, sending them scattering harmlessly in all directions.

The flock of Frost Dragons continued their flight as if nothing happened. Klytius could hear the terrified whispers of his brethren behind him:

"It's really them...the Runic Dragonrider Corps….."

"We should have never defected from the Dominion. Now they're going to wipe us out…"

"I hear even the monster trio has been subjugated….what chance do we have…"

Klytius whirled around urgently to rally the others: "We must not panic! They are few in number, as long as we-"

But before he could finish his sentence, the first of the Dragonriders had already begun to encircle the settlement overhead.

The Giants recoiled in terror as they got a clear glimpse of the individuals riding atop the Frost Dragons. Their short, barrel-shaped bodies were fully encased in suits of ominous jet-black plate armor. Their heads were almost entirely concealed beneath a full helm of utter black as well, save for the huge beards that extended all the way down to their stomachs. Cold, indifferent eyes stared out through the slits of their visors, gazing down upon the Giants as if the latter were hapless insects to be exterminated.

The Dragonrider in the lead raised a blood-hued sword and pointed it towards the Frost Giants. This time, an orange sigil glowed on the blade upon activation.

[Byrne]

A great jet of white-hot flame shot out of the sword, quickly lighting one of the Frost Giants near Klytius ablaze. Klytius watched in horror as his comrade was engulfed in a great conflagration. The burning Giant screamed in a voice of raw agony and terror as he was slowly incinerated to a crisp.

Klytius gulped down a sob. The Frost Giant who had just been killed, Thundomir, was an old friend of his. They had worked together decades ago to conquer the coming of age ritual of the Frost Giants-the Trial of the Phoenix.

In Klytius's youth, the Phoenix Lord would roost in a crag near the top of Mount Rappaslea every five years and underwent a sacred fire-bathing ritual that lasted a month. During this time, the young warriors of the Frost Giant tribes were tasked to obtain a shed feather from the great monster.

However, this was a long time ago. The Trial hadn't been carried out for over fifty years, as the Phoenix Lord was now shackled far beneath the earth, reduced to a mere pet.

Such disrespect for their traditions was one of the many reasons the giants had decided to defect from the Sorcerer King's forces after the Great Vanquishing. But now, as Klytius watched the Dragonriders scorch his people alive one at a time, he knew that that had been a fatal mistake.

He frantically whipped his head back in the direction of his wife and child. Esruna stood frozen in shock as she witnessed the carnage going on around her. Klytius sprang into action, his massive footsteps leaving craters in the very ground as he ran towards his family.

But his flagrant motions only served to draw the attention of one of the Dragonriders. A monstrous shadow descended upon him, soon followed by the same white-hot flames that had claimed the life of his comrade.

Just before the fire could reach and engulf him, an icy tear slid from Klytius's eyes as they reflected the burning light of a settlement soon to be lost forever. The reflection shattered forever as the flames washed over him and Klytius burned to his death.