Evindeldan, a fortress that had stood upon Blackrock Mountain for thousands of years, was now scarred and battered, surrounded by collapsed battlements and piles of rubble.
Dwarves and elves quietly gathered the bodies of their fallen comrades and incinerated the heaps of orc corpses outside the city gates.
Thick gray smoke curled toward the sky, casting a somber, tragic air over the city. Dwarven craftsmen repaired the broken ramparts, softly humming an ancient ballad as their hammers struck stone.
"To the clang of hammers striking true, the dwarves forged fortresses proud and great...
From the northern steppes a bleak war cry blew, where savage, wicked beasts did aggregate..."
After that brutal battle, Evindeldan's outer perimeter was reduced nearly to ruin, with close to six thousand dwarven heroes buried beneath the earth.
For a city of barely thirty thousand dwarves, this meant virtually every resident had lost a kin, lover, or friend.
Outside the walls, more than nine thousand remaining dwarven warriors were stationed alongside the elves of Therenia. Organized into patrols, they hunted down scattered orc wolf-rider scouts and monitored the northern Red Blood Tribe's next moves.
"The wine we once shared spills upon the stone, while a soul brighter than gold and gemstones shines in Solania...
Farewell, my friend..."
Standing atop the battlements, Ed Klein softly sang an ancient dwarven farewell dirge.
He gazed out across the vast, bleak expanse of the Ugo Steppe and let out a long sigh. In this campaign, the dwarves had paid a horrific price.
Yet... they had triumphed.
The millennia-old legacy of the Mountain Kingdom and the honor of the shield dwarves had been preserved. But where would they go from here?
Bjorn approached, leaning on his walking stick, his voice laden with concern. "Your Majesty, we have clearly won a glorious victory. Why do you grieve so deeply?"
"Bjorn, you must have noticed it as well..."
"..."
The old dwarf made no reply, merely staring at Ed's pale, frail countenance in silence.
The dwarven king gave a bitter chuckle and went on, "I never imagined I might not outlive an old fellow of four hundred years like you. I do not fear death, but I am not ready to die. I cannot simply let go of the Mountain Kingdom."
"Your Majesty, you..."
"..."
Both dwarves fell into silence. They had served together for over a century; even without words, each knew what the other was thinking.
Ed was well aware that after fusing his body with the Hammer of Bedrock, his days were numbered. If not for the Dragon of Dawn intervening to save him, he would not have survived to this moment at all.
The Soulforge Fire within the Hammer of Bedrock burned with such intensity that his physical form and his soul were being slowly consumed in an irreversible decay.
Such an unraveling could hardly be halted even with a resurrection spell, and dwarves were never a race renowned for high magic.
Now, the continent's affairs were growing increasingly chaotic. Beyond the northern orcs, the Abyss, the Nine Hells, and the Three Kingdoms were all stirring. None could be underestimated.
When the next crisis struck, how could the Mountain Kingdom endure without their Master of the Forge to anchor them?
"We delve into deep caverns where shadows fold, to seek that enchanting glimmer of gold..."
Ed and Bjorn gazed into the distance together, listening in silence to the ballad echoing throughout the city.
The old dwarf hesitated a moment, his lips trembling slightly. "Your Majesty, I know of a way... that might shield Evindeldan for at least a century..."
Meeting his gaze, Ed seemed to anticipate what Bjorn had in mind. His voice was calm. "Do you truly believe that is viable? For thousands of years, we shield dwarves have relied strictly on our own hands, standing proud in this world through our hammers and steadfast resolve..."
Lowering his gaze, Bjorn offered a helpless, wry smile. "Your Majesty, it is merely a final resort."
*Roar—!*
Suddenly, a piercing cry echoed from the distance. Dwarves and elves looked up in unison, spotting a faint dark speck emerging on the horizon.
"What is that?"
"Look, up in the sky!"
"Is it friend or foe? Could it be an ally of the orcs?"
"To arms! Defend Evindeldan to the death!"
Patrolling dwarves and elves quickly gripped their weapons, tense as if facing a mortal threat, their voices buzzing with alarmed murmurs.
Ed and Bjorn were no exception. Their expressions turned grave as they stared into the distance.
The dark speck grew larger in their sight, until it finally resolved into a golden dragon more than a dozen meters long.
"Is that... another visiting gold dragon?"
Ed raised his hand at once, signaling his soldiers to stand down, and barked an order.
"Stand down, all of you! That is a noble and benevolent gold dragon, kin to our kingdom's eternal benefactor, Lord Titus!"
"It's another gold dragon!"
"As expected of Lord Titus's kin—what an elegant, magnificent creature!"
Soldiers atop and beneath the walls breathed sighs of relief, lowering their crossbows, spears, and axes, their faces relaxing.
They had seen with their own eyes how the gold dragon had thrown himself into battle, immolating their enemies and slaying the chieftain of the Red Blood Tribe.
Over the past several days, Lord Titus had circled the skies above the city, casting down soothing light to heal the wounded, earning the dwarves' profound gratitude.
In the eyes of the dwarves and elves, that gold dragon had become the very avatar of justice and their most steadfast ally.
If so, how could a member of Lord Titus's kin ever be a foe?
The stranger's slender, graceful form glided through the air with a gold dragon's signature wave-like motion, almost as if swimming through the sky, before gently descending onto the ramparts.
She folded her wings over her back like a colossal golden moth.
The dwarves studied the newcomer. Compared to Lord Titus, she was noticeably smaller.
Her build was leaner and her movements more graceful. The surface of her golden scales was etched with intricate, delicate markings, and the air around her carried the faint aroma of saffron and spices.
Ed inclined his head respectfully, speaking with composed dignity. "Noble and gracious gold dragon, welcome. I am Ed, Lord of the Mountain. May I ask what brings you to our war-torn city?"
The gold dragon parted her jaws, and a crisp, melodious, and somewhat youthful female voice rang across the battlements. "King Ed, I am Aurora, daughter of Akalov, a gold dragon from the south. I have come to pay my respects to Senior Titus, the Dragon of Dawn. His heroic defense of the dwarves against invasion filled me with great admiration."
Ed's face showed an expression of clear understanding. He pointed toward a cavern on Blackrock Mountain.
"Of course. Lord Titus is residing there for the time being and should be resting inside. He is indeed a righteous, honorable, and dutiful protector, as well as an eternal benefactor of our Mountain Kingdom. Since the battle ended, he has regularly circled our skies, tending the wounds of our dwarven warriors."
"Thank you, King Ed."
The tone of the female gold dragon calling herself Aurora was earnest.
With a nod, she lightly beat her wings, rising from the battlements to glide toward the cavern.
Watching the dragon's retreating figure, Ed murmured thoughtfully, "Bjorn, perhaps you are right... What the Mountain Kingdom needs now might truly be a steadfast, mighty ally capable of safeguarding us for centuries to come."
***
"Good day, Senior Titus. I am Aurora, daughter of Akalov, a gold dragon from the south. May I have a moment of your time?"
Landing on the rocks several dozen meters from the cavern entrance, Aurora called out cautiously.
Even among gold dragons, intruding upon another's lair uninvited was considered ill-mannered, as it was the place where they hoarded their wealth.
Aurora remained exceptionally prudent. She had no wish to anger this mysterious senior or earn his displeasure.
She knew nothing of his temperament, and from her experience, ancient gold dragons were often rigid and set in their ways.
"Enter."
Before long, a deep voice echoed from within.
Overjoyed, Aurora hurried inside, minding her draconic etiquette by deliberately keeping her gaze in check.
In truth, this temporary lair held little treasure. The dwarves had delivered a vast sum of gold, but Cassius had concealed it in the depths of the cave.
Passing through a relatively narrow corridor, the young dragon reached the cavern's main chamber, where she laid eyes upon the senior who had recently made a name for himself.
Aurora respectfully lowered her head, folded her wings, and bent her forelegs in a polite greeting. "Good day, Senior Titus."
She stole a glance upward and beheld a colossal dragon body spanning over thirty meters, cloaked in fully golden scales, with wings of immense span.
Over a dozen whisker-like barbels fringed his jaws, and his profound eyes resembled pools of molten gold, exuding wisdom and mystery.
By gold dragon standards, this senior was an absolute paragon of beauty.
*He truly is an ancient gold dragon!*
Aurora's heart leaped with excitement. Older gold dragons typically departed for Mount Celestia to serve at Bahamut's side, rarely lingering on the Material Plane.
Nearly every gold dragon who remained in the mortal realm possessed an exceptional sense of responsibility and justice.
Meanwhile, Titus—or rather, Cassius—was studying his visitor with golden pupils.
*Aurora Vipsania Agrippina.*
*Challenge Rating: 16.*
A female young adult gold dragon. Though visibly youthful, she was considerably stronger than an ordinary gold dragon of her age, possessing power comparable to a fully mature adult.
Curiously, her scales were engraved with intricate, elaborate patterns.
A gold dragon of her age was unlikely to be an emissary sent by Bahamut.
He adopted a calm tone, probing casually, "Young kin, what brings you here? Could it be... that the time for the Gold Dragon Council has arrived?"
In truth, Cassius was fishing for information. Gold dragons maintained a worldwide hierarchy headed by a leader titled the Sovereign.
This Sovereign was elected from the ranks of great wyrms by their entire kind and held office for life until deciding to step down. Every few centuries, a council convened to deliberate upon major affairs.
Aurora looked puzzled, but answered nonetheless, "Senior Titus, if I recall correctly, the next Gold Dragon Council is still thirty years away. Besides, I am merely a young dragon; I would not have the authority to invite you."
Cassius shook his head with a wry, self-deprecating chuckle. "Ah. It seems that after that war, I have been away from this world for too long. My sense of time has grown rather... hazy."
A riddler's trick.
Keep everything vague enough, and others would naturally assume depth.
Aurora listened quietly, mentally weaving an epic tale of tragic, battle-hardened history for this venerable elder. To press for details would be dreadfully rude.
*As expected of an ancient gold dragon who has lived for over a thousand years!*
After a moment of inward reverence, the young dragon ventured to speak again.
"Senior Titus, I heard tales of your valiant deeds and was filled with admiration, which is why... I wished to visit you."
Cassius smiled. "Aurora, surely that is not all. Speak freely—what else do you ask of me?"
The young gold dragon scratched at the stone with a claw, somewhat sheepish. "You are truly perceptive. In that case, I will be direct.
"Senior Titus, your dedication to justice and order commands our utmost respect. We cordially invite you to join our hidecarved order and become an elder of our loth."
*Hidecarved?* That term rang a bell.
Looking at the exquisite carvings across Aurora's scales, Cassius immediately remembered what it meant.
Hidecarved dragons were members of a mystical order composed of dragons and half-dragons.
Their title came from the mystical wards and magical sigils carved directly into their scales, which granted them extraordinary protective power.
In their strict discipline, devotion to self-perfection, and esoteric transcendence, the dragons of the hidecarved order resembled monks among mortals.
However, hidecarved dragons did not establish monasteries. Instead, they gathered in small communities called loths.
These gatherings of dragons and half-dragons shared a vast territory, meeting periodically and rallying swiftly to one another's aid whenever a member was threatened.
Cassius felt a surge of silent elation. He had already planned to seek out this order, never imagining they would come knocking on his door.
As a prestige class akin to monks, hidecarved dragons possessed an iron will of absolute order, granting them high resistance against an array of supernatural forces—including chaotic energies.
Once he acquired this prestige class, Cassius would possess far greater confidence in combating abyssal demons.
At the same time, it would help him preserve his sanity, shielding him from the lingering influence of Garyx's will.
Though overjoyed inside, Cassius maintained a serene exterior. He remarked calmly, "A hidecarved dragon? I have heard of the calling. A lawful and disciplined order indeed.
"It sounds... agreeable."
Aurora hastily added, "Senior Titus, we will provide you with the full legacy and teachings of the hidecarved dragons, and..."
She gritted her teeth for a moment before continuing, "We will also pool our gold coins to offer you a stipend."
Cassius offered an elder's gentle, benevolent smile and spoke softly. "I accept—so long as your efforts remain dedicated to justice and order."
Overwhelmed with joy, Aurora stepped closer. "Senior Titus, you are every bit as benevolent and mighty as the tales say. Welcome to our order."
Inside the cavern, the genuine gold dragon and the counterfeit gold dragon exchanged warm smiles in a picture of perfect harmony.
Aurora rejoiced at securing a powerful champion for her order, while Cassius quietly delighted in obtaining a new prestige class for free—and infiltrating the inner circle of the metallic dragons.
Chapter 581