A Dwarf Among Dragons

"We need stronger tools," Hornfinger grumbled, holding a broken stone pickaxe in his hands with two others behind him in dismay, their tools also cracked and beyond repair.

Har Firebeard stood in the center of the cave with a crystal staff and little twigs still burning atop it, stroking his ginger beard with furrowed brows. Frustration burned deep within him. Despite their best efforts, these crystals were the best the dwarves could hope for with their current tools.

"What about the crystals? Do they make for good tools?" Har asked, though he already knew the answer.

Hornfinger shook his head. "Too brittle. If stone can break the crystals, what makes you think the crystals will fair any better?"

The dwarves sighed collectively, coming to terms with the fact that this was the end of their exploration of the cave unless they could come up with better tools.

"Let's bring back what we can this time," Har said firmly. His eyes flicked toward several dwarves who had joined the expedition, each of them hoping to return with treasures grand enough to regain their lady's favor. "We'll have to figure something out."

When they stepped outside, however, every dwarf froze as a large creature- many times the size of these dwarves- descended upon the entrance. Its massive wings folded against its sides as it landed, the ground quaking beneath its weight. Its large, predatory eyes glared down at them and sent shivers of fear running through their spines.

"Quick! Back into the cave!" Har cried out, dropping his staff as the dwarves scrambled for safety.

As they reached the depths of the cave, the cave shook as the creature let out a deafening roar that shook the stone walls.

"What was that?!" 

"Did you see the size of that thing? We're dead meat!"

"Pipe down," Hornfinger barked, his voice steady despite the panic in the cave. "We'll be safe in here. It's too big to fit inside. We just have to wait it out."

Unease rippled through the dwarves, but many saw the logic and nodded. Like many wild beasts, once it lost interest in its prey, it would move on.

The red dragon, unbeknownst to them, however, and perched outside their cave, was not like many wild beasts.

It was frustrating that these tiny creatures escaped its capture. 

With a throaty growl, it unleashed its Dragon's Breath in a searing, fiery roar. Flames engulfed the mountainside, and the rock turned molten, rivers of glowing red sliding down its face as the dragon vented its fury.

The cave trembled under the heat of the attack, faint streams of smoke curling into the air. The dwarves huddled deeper inside, their hearts pounding.

Time went on, and the air gradually cleared. Minutes turned into hours before Har boldly stepped forward, nervously gulping as he made his way toward the exit.

"Wait, Har!" Hornfinger protested. "Let me go with you.""It's dangerous, Hornfinger."

"Aye, and two is better than one if you need saving."

The two of them locked eyes before Har nodded, exhaling slowly as he placed a hand on Hornfinger's shoulder. "Thank you."

They shared the moment for a second longer before continuing toward the exit, leaving the other dwarves huddled inside, nervously clutching their tools and whispering among themselves.

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"By my beard!" Hornfinger stroked his beard as he studied the buttery smooth stone surrounding the cave entrance. Heat still radiated from it, nearly unbearable, causing sweat to drip down his forehead. Yet, he couldn't tear his gaze away, mesmerized as thoughts raced through his head, connecting the dots.

"This might be just what we need to make ourselves better tools! No- not just tools," Hornfinger mumbled, his eyes widening with excitement.

Har's gaze darted toward the entrance and the sky above, scanning for any sign of the creature. But he saw only charred stone and blackened wood where the crystal had been.

His frown deepened, and his expression twisted into shock. "It took our crystals!"

"What?! Bloody...!" Hornfinger blinked before growling. "What does such a thing need our hard-earned crystals for?!"

"Thief!" Hornfinger shouted angrily, shaking his fist at a bird flying lazily overhead. "Get your own, you damned lizaaaaa-!"

Before he could finish, a massive, menacing head materialized in the air. With a terrifying growl, its jaws snapped around Hornfinger, whose cries of anger turned into terrified screams.

Har stumbled backward, falling to the ground as the enormous dragon's head emerged seemingly out of thin air, answering Hornfinger's curses like a summoning.

"Har! Help meh!" Hornfinger's face was pale with fear as he struggled against the dragon's jaws. The creature wasn't crushing him but pinned him tightly, its sharp teeth pressing against his skin and drawing trace amounts of blood.

The dragon's large red eyes narrowed at Har, a deep snort of contempt escaping its nostrils. Without a second glance, it began retreating, each of its steps shaking the ground beneath them.

Har's gaze darted around frantically until he spotted the charred remains of the wagon. Gritting his teeth, he ripped off a large chunk of burned wood and charged at the dragon with a battle cry.

The creature didn't even flinch. Its massive tail whipped out, knocking Har through the air. He hit the ground hard, the breath forcefully driven from his lungs as he rolled several feet across the dirt.

The dragon unfolded its enormous wings, the gusts from their powerful beats kicking up debris and sending Har sliding further back. He clawed at the ground, struggling to find something to grip, until his hand latched onto a nearby tree.

Above him, the dragon ascended into the sky, its wings carving wide, slow circles as it gained altitude. Hornfinger's terrified cries echoed faintly as the dragon soared toward the mountain peak.

Groaning in pain, Har forced himself to his feet, his body bruised and shaking from the impact.

"Hornfinger!" he cried desperately into the empty sky, his voice cracking. The creature hadn't eaten him yet, and that sliver of hope fueled Har's determination.

Tears welled in his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and sprinted back toward the cave entrance.

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When the red-scaled Primordial Dragon dropped the crystal into their den, the surrounding gems caught the light, reflecting brilliantly off its surface. The area around it shifted in hues, casting colorful patterns like stained glass of different colors.

Next to it was Har Firebeard's crystal staff, attracting the eyes of many by its smooth design with intricate curves and charred twigs extinguished atop.The Primordial Dragon Queen cooed with approval, nudging the crystal gently with her snout. Her brilliant sapphire eyes flickered upward, locking onto him with a seductive glimmer.

Pride swelled in his chest, especially when he glanced toward his rival snarling off to the side with the weight of defeat hanging over him. But he wasn't done yet.

With a sudden, thunderous roar, he startled the Queen. She recoiled in confusion, baring her teeth out of instinct and snarling before he took off, leaving everyone bewildered. Ripples swept through the den as some saw it as open disrespect toward their Queen.

Those ripples were quickly stilled however when the Queen's menacing glare swept over them.

When he returned sometime later, her head tilted curiously but was prepared to deal with this male. But as he landed, her eyes widened slightly, locking onto the small creature flailing between his jaws.

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Atop the mountain, Hornfinger was dropped into a warm basin surrounded by enormous creatures. His head spun from the sudden change in altitude and his vision was swimming in disorientation.

He felt panicked, knowing how much danger he was in, but he couldn't muster the energy. He had exhausted himself not only from his frantic struggles during the climb, but also the environment shift taking its toll on him.

A loud roar brought him to a straight, upright position immediately however. Hornfinger's head was on fire, but his gaze was stun-locked upon a massive, beautiful creature.

Her white scales gleamed, reflecting the sunlight with such intensity that he had to raise a hand to shield his eyes. But he saw enough.

"I-I don't taste very good," Hornfinger stuttered, his voice cracking with fear. "I ate some bugs this morning, I think they poisoned me! I might make you sick!"

His words tumbled out in a nervous rant, as if reasoning with the creatures would somehow help.

'We will not eat you.'

A high pitched voice cut through his thoughts, freezing him in place and blinking in stunned silence.

'I am the Primordial Dragon Queen, servant of the Sky.'

"W-What?" Hornfinger stammered.

He struggled to keep his gaze on her, but the blinding light reflecting off her radiant white scales made it nearly impossible. Noticing his discomfort, the Queen cooed softly, and suddenly, her brilliance dimmed.

Now, he could truly see her.

His mouth fell open in awe. Not only was she larger, more grand- but her scales were far more beautiful than all the others surrounding. Beside her, two smaller female dragons perched regally, their status apparent by how the male dragons reacted to their presence.

Their eyes locked when he heard high pitched, vibrant clinking sound as the red dragon nudged the crystal staff with his snout.

'How did you make this?'

A deeper, more menacing voice entered his mind.

Hornfinger blinked, glancing at the staff before scoffing. "The staff? We just banged some rocks together and-" His eyes widened. "Wait… is this why you stole our crystal?!"

His temper flared. He clenched his fists, shaking one angrily at the red dragon towering over him. The Primordial snarled, but Hornfinger refused to back down, glaring defiantly.

"Taking our shite! If I was just a bit bigger, I'd give you a real reason for those scales to be red!"

Silence. Then, a chorus of guttural laughter rumbled through the den. The dragons were laughing at him. Hornfinger's face went bright red, his rage turning into embarrassment.But then, a gentle, feminine voice slipped into his mind.

'Apologies, little creature. Perhaps you would like a smaller gem in return?'

Hornfinger hesitated. Normally, such an offer would be insulting. But to a dwarf who had yet to see any of these sparkling gems and unique stones yet, his eyes widened like saucers.

Suddenly, his attitude shifted. Bowing his head with uncharacteristic politeness, he spoke carefully.

"That would be my greatest wish! My name's Hornfinger!" He raised his finger with a rabbit's horn attached. His gaze slowly drifted from the surrounding gems back to the crystal staff before he looked up at the Queen.

"Perhaps I can craft you a beauty from our crystal? In return, maybe you can show us where to find more of these gems?"

The den fell silent. A dwarf- so small, so fragile- was trying to negotiate with the Primordial Dragon Queen? The tension was thick, uncertainty crackling in the air.

Then, to everyone's surprise, the Queen nodded.

A wide, excited grin spread across Hornfinger's face.

-----------------------

Several hours passed. Half of the dwarves had fled, carrying whatever crystals they could manage, while the other half, led by Har Firebeard, were climbing the mountain.

They jeered and shouted angrily, hurling their weapons and stones as the large creature returned- despite being fully exposed on the mountain face.

But it didn't seem to care. The projectiles bounced off its scales harmlessly, and as it descended, the powerful downdraft from its wings knocked several of them back.

Har Firebeard snarled, gripping his crude stone weapons, his muscles tense as he prepared to charge the massive beast- ready to face certain doom.

Then, something strange happened.

The dwarves froze, their battle cries cut short, as Hornfinger suddenly tumbled from the dragon's mouth, landing in a heap at the base of the peak, covered in thick saliva.

But he looked unharmed. And in his arms were gems of indescribable beauty.

A slow smirk spread across his face before he threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Hah! Thought I was dead, didn't ya?!"