Groggy and sleep-deprived, Ramin stumbles to the entrance, his voice gruff as he shouts, "We're closed! Go Away!"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Ignoring Ramin's protests, the persistent knocking continues, echoing through the early morning air. With a sigh, Ramin wipes the remnants of tiredness from his eyes and reluctantly opens the door, ready to give the unwelcome visitor a piece of his mind.
"WHAT!" he barks, only to be met by Spero's mischievous grin.
"Your hair is a bit messy," Spero teases.
"Screw you," Ramin retorts, as he turns to trudge back into his shop. "Why are you here so damn early?"
Unfazed by Ramin's grumpy demeanor, Spero casually leans against a table in the cluttered shop, his eyes scanning the scattered tools and supplies. "I need some tools for my mission today," he explains.
Ramin, still half-asleep, waves his hand in dismissal, allowing Spero to rummage through the shop's valuables on his own. Lost in a drowsy haze, Ramin's head nods slightly as he dozes off, only to startle awake at the sound of Spero clanking the supplies on the wooden table.
With a look of desperation on his face, Ramin asks, "Are you done; can you leave now?"
"Not quite, I need to see some of the cave supplies I left with you."
"Uh yeah sure." He then heads out through a door at the back of the shop to his personal home, returning with a sack that he hands to Spero.
"Thanks."
"I was surprised you had that sorcerer pick up the other materials you left with me, why not this?"
"Can't be too careful," Spero explains as he gathers his bags to depart.
Ramin asks, "Where are you off to?"
Spero sighs, "Unfortunately, I have to meet with a pointy-eared associate."
Ramin looks at Spero with disbelief and bursts into a loud laugh. "You're meeting him? After the last disastrous mission? Hahaha, oh my!"
Spero's expression turns to one of discontent as Ramin chuckles heartily.
Before leaving, Ramin shares one last jest, "Don't kill any generals on your way out, ahaha!"
Spero mocks Ramin under his breath, repeating his words as he leaves the shop.
*****
Spero and Lorien stride up a towering mountain under the scorching midday sun. The duo maintains their pace, with Spero leading the way and Lorien following closely behind.
As they ascend, Lorien's impatience bubbles to the surface. "Ugh, how much longer?"
"We're almost there," Spero assures.
"But what is this mission about?" Lorien presses on.
"You'll be briefed when we meet the dwarves towards the top,"
Lorien's eyes roll in exasperation. "Oh great, can't wait," he mutters under his breath.
Deciding to quicken his pace, Lorien surges forward, his back straightens, "This isn't going to be like last time, is it?"
Spero comes to a halt, turning to face his companion. "Why does everyone keep asking that?"
Lorien simply shrugs his shoulders. "Well, you did kill the chief's top general..."
"It was part of the job!" Spero defends.
"You stabbed him in the face, in front of the dwarven chief!"
Spero looks away. "He had a high bounty."
"You couldn't have done that earlier in the mission," questions Lorien.
Spero casually starts walking past Lorien, nonchalantly replying, "I forgot."
"Forgot, my ass!" Lorien exclaims, quickening his pace to keep up with Spero.
Spero turns around abruptly, his gaze locking on Lorien. "And what about you! You stole the bounty from me, you lanky rat!"
Lorien's face flushes as he fumbles for words. "I simply invested that gold," he mumbles sheepishly, trying to avoid Spero's piercing stare.
"Tisk, more like spent it all on wenches and booze."
As Spero and Lorien continue their journey, their banter and bickering echo through the land.
At the mountain's first summit, Lorien and Spero encounter two dwarves - one standing by a wooden wagon and the other perched atop it. Tension fills the air as the dwarves exchange sour looks with Lorien, who mirrors their expressions.
Spero inquires, "Do you have all the supplies?"
One of the dwarves confidently replies, "Of course. Are you both prepared?"
Lorien gestures dismissively, leaving Spero wearing a puzzled expression.
Realizing the lack of clarity, Spero explains, "Oh yeah, he doesn't know the details yet."
Surprised, the dwarf retorts, "You haven't informed him?"
The dwarf on the wagon chuckles, "If I were him, I wouldn't have said a word either. Can't risk the fairy boy fleeing."
Reacting impulsively, Lorien makes a move towards his dagger, but Spero restrains his wrist.
The other dwarf hushes his companion and states, "We will guide this wagon to that here cave entrance to gather some metal ore."
Lorien questions, "That's all? Why am I even here? These walking thumbs can manage on their own!"
The other dwarf hops off the wagon, "The ore next to dragons' nest, we need you two, brave ladies, to bather it all for us."
"A dragon, are you fucking insane!" Lorien backs up.
Calmly, the other dwarf explains, "We managed to extract the ore from the surrounding rocks while the dragon was away hunting, but it returned earlier than anticipated."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Hell no, this is crazy, I'm leaving," Lorien announces.
Spero grabs his collar and pulls him back. "It's a baby dragon taking a nap, don't be so dramatic."
Lorien questions, "A baby dragon can still burn down a small village. And how do we know its mother is there waiting for us?"
"It's an Emberwing, their mothers abandon them when they're young," Spero reassures.
The dwarf interjects, "Time is of the essence. Your task is to secure the ore quickly while we load them onto this wagon. The dragon must have finished its meal by now, so we have a limited window. Let's move quickly."
The group ascends several kilometers closer to the cave entrance, eventually parking the wagon nearby. Spero and Lorien, arm themselves with supplies.
"Take some of these," Spero insists, as he tosses a pick, hammer, and a bright red stone.
Lorien raises a concern, "Firestones? These will wake the dragon."
Spero reassures him, "These are only to keep it back if we need to make a quick escape."
With trepidation, the duo approaches the cave entrance. With every step, their steps echo through the darkness. As they venture deeper into the unknown, the sound of their footsteps mingles with the rhythmic drops of water from stalactites above.
Lorien asks, "Are we taking turns, or should we both gather as many ores as possible simultaneously?"
Spero's response, though unexpected, sends a shiver down Lorien's spine, "Me? I'm not stepping foot in there."
Confusion and frustration mar Lorien's features, "What are you talking about?"
Spero's voice drops to a whisper, his eyes alight with concern, "That dragon would detect my unusual aura in an instant."
The elf grabs Spero's shoulders and shakes him. "What the hell are you doing to me, man!?"
"Your ability isn't mana based so it won't detect you as easily. You're the best person for this job."
Lorien lowers his head, muttering under his breath, "I hate you so much."
Spero chuckles softly as they make their way towards the den, a glimmer of light beckoning in the distance. Reaching a strategic point near the entrance, Spero gestures for Lorien to proceed alone.
"I'll remain here. Once you secure the ores, I'll escort them out and return for the next batch," Spero strategizes.
Lorien grumbles in reluctant acceptance, smacking his face lightly before exhaling. "Alright fine, shit, okay. Let's do this!"
Lorien's body begins to shimmer and slowly fades from view, turning him invisible. He creeps closer to the snoring beast, every nerve in his body tingling with adrenaline.
His steps are as light as a feather as he maneuvers through the scattered riches, being careful not to disturb a single gold coin or chalice of glistening silver. Finally reaching the metal ores, he kneels and scoops up a handful, feeling their weight in his grasp. Lorien retraces his steps, making sure to stay undetected as he returns to his companion. With a quiet exchange, the precious ores are passed into Spero's waiting hands.
Lorien makes a few trips back and forth and Spero delivers the metal to the dwarves. While making his way back to Lorien, Spero ponders,
Lorien's ability is quite special, he can shield his energy from going unnoticed, including his scent. His Vita energy would be beneficial. If I had this power..., would I be hidden even by the gods?
Spero pauses at a safe distance, observing Lorien's efforts as he extracts the ores from the cave wall.
If he were to die here, no one would question it. Death by a dragon...but even if I were to steal his energy...there's no guarantee I would even gain his ability.
Spero stares at his palm as he reflects on his encounter with the Greek assassin. Lorien struggles to pull some of the loose ores embedded in the cave walls. He uses the pick and hammer, rhythmically matching the dragon's breathing to chisel away at the stone surrounding the ore. Finally freeing the ore, he returns to Spero.
"Navigating would be much easier if this gold wasn't around," Lorien grumbles.
"Don't you dare," Spero orders.
"I have no idea what you're suggesting"
"You know damn well dragons mark their treasure; they can track their scent across lands."
"I know, I know, calm down," Lorien reassures him.
Lorien gathers the last bit of ores. As he carefully collects them and prepares to make his way back to safety, the dragon stirs in its slumber. His heart pounding in his chest, Lorien freezes in terror, holding his breath as he watches the dragon's movements closely.
With a sudden shuffle, the dragon's tail swings dangerously close to Lorien, he leaps over it in a nimble attempt to avoid being struck. In the process, one of the ores slips from his grasp, sending it tumbling through the air. Lorien extends his hand and catches the metal just before it hits the ground, landing gracefully on one foot. Sweat drips down his nose and lands on a few coins below.
DRIP, DRIP, DRIP
Lorien strives to maintain his balance. However, a slip of his sweaty hand causes the ore to escape once more.
CLANK, CLING, CLANG
"Oh shit." Spero sighs out.
The dragon awakens fully, its eyes wide with fury as it unleashes a terrifying screech that vibrates through the cavern.
"RUN DAMMIT" Spero shouts.
Deactivating his invisibility, Lorien races past Spero, who deploys a powerful wall of shadow energy towards the dragon, momentarily blinding the beast as they both make a desperate dash towards the exit. The dragon moves with unparalleled speed, its large form leaving a trail of scattered gold and shattered stalagmites in its path. Flames erupt from its maw, its intense heat inching closer to them. Spero hurls a firestone against the cave wall, triggering a fiery explosion that temporarily halts the dragon's advance. Unfortunately, the dragon continues its pursuit, prompting Spero to launch more firestones in a desperate attempt to slow its relentless chase. Feeling the beast drawing near, Spero draws his sword, and attempts to strike at the dragon's snout, only to have the blade deflected by a sturdy horn protruding from its head.
Lorien's voice cut through the chaos. "Ready the wagon! We need to get the hell out of here!"
The dwarves outside rustle their belongings and ready the wagon.
The beast pushes Spero back forcefully, causing him to collide with the ground. He scrambles to his feet, as he fends off the dragon's claws and snapping jaw. The stench of spit and searing hot breath assail his senses as he desperately tries to evade the creature's wrath. In a moment of peril, Spero's hand instinctively reaches for the ring nestled in his pouch, but a sudden surge of apprehension washes over him. A demonic aura emanates from the ring, filling him with dread as visions of the Nephilim flash before his eyes, hellfire burning his skin alive. With a steely resolve, he releases his grip on the ring and delivers a quick kick to the animal's neck, momentarily staggering the foe. Spero retrieves a firestone from his pack and hurls it directly at the dragon's face, however, the creature deflects the attack with a smack of its tail, redirecting the projectile towards the stone wall. A deafening explosion of smoke, flames, and debris engulfs the area, showering Spero with ash and dust.
As the smoke begins to clear, a blazing inferno surges towards him, propelled by the dragon's fiery breath. Spero conjures a protective shield of wind magic to block the scorching flames, the crackling energy of the elements collide. With a menacing lunge, the beast advances towards him, its reptilian eyes ablaze with malice. Spero unleashes a green beam of energy towards the dragon, the flare cutting its armored scales and inflicting a shallow wound. A deafening roar of pain rings through the chamber as the creature winces. Spero dashes towards the exit.
Lorien yells, "Jump!"
The elf pitches a firestone at the cave entrance as Spero leaps out. The dragon's fierce expression is illuminated by the radiant sunlight as it inches closer towards them.
BLAST
The rocks above begin to crumble and collapse, sealing the dragon's fate within the confines of the cave. Amidst the settling dust and debris, a fleeting moment of relief washes over the group, but their respite is short-lived as they feel the ground tremble beneath them.
"Get your asses on this wagon!" a dwarf bellows out.
They scramble onto the wagon as they start its descent down the mountain path, the dwarves wielding long sticks guide and steer their transportation, narrowly avoiding obstacles along the way. As they finally reach the foot of the mountain, a sense of accomplishment washes over the group. They continue their journey towards the village.
They enter the Chief's throne room as they are welcomed by the personal guards.
"Job well-done assassin, I'm surprised you followed through." The chief states.
"The knowledge of your weapons aided us greatly against the Medes, I thank you for your generosity." Spero expresses gratefully, bowing respectfully to the chief.
The chief smiles with gratitude and asserts his eyes towards Lorien. "And with the help of an elf no less, now I've seen everything."
Lorien averts his eyes momentarily before acknowledging with a nod.
"With this, I hereby confirm our alliance with the new kingdom of Persia. And we shall be open to discussions of a cease-fire with the Elves of Elam." The chief declares.
The room is filled with a tense silence as Lorien's stunned expression betrays his astonishment. "An...And I will make sure to relay this information to them."
As Lorien exchanges a fleeting glance with Spero, a realization unravels the fa?ade of his comrade.
You sneaky son of a bitch.
The two unlikely companions set out from the dwarven village and venture a few kilometers out.
"This is where we depart," Spero says.
Lorien turns to him. "You think all of this will last?"
"No, but I believe it will create a path for things to change."
Lorien can see what Spero says is true. The last time they met all he knew was a mysterious thief who kept all his past locked away. Someone who he dared to never make angry, someone who was feared by all. Now, he notices a glimmer of change in this infamous assassin where he truly believes that Spero could change things for the better.
As they part ways Spero's voice rings out. "You forgot something."
A flash of light dances through the air as Lorien fumbles to catch the shimmering object hurtling towards him. In his grasp lies the stolen jewelry from that random noble. With a parting wave, Spero fades into the distance, leaving Lorien smirking at the golden bracelet. Lorien sets his gaze forward and strides purposefully along his path.
Thank you for all of the support and follows!