The Eye of Gruumsh

Titus’s expression grew increasingly grave. The dwarven king was entrusting his heirs and legacy to him, which meant he had completely relinquished his own life and prepared himself to face death with composure. The ancient gold dragon lowered his head, a look of sorrow surfacing in his pale-gold pupils, and his voice turned heavier. "King Ed, have you truly made up your mind?" "Of course," Ed answered with a smile. "My time is running out. Rather than drag on as a feeble cripple, I would much rather die on the battlefield like a true warrior—just like my father, Thoor Klein, who fought the enemy to his last breath." Titus sighed softly, still seeking to dissuade him. "If this is a hopeless war, why not lead your people in migration?" "No, you do not understand dwarves, Lord Titus. We shield dwarves have lived here for generations. Evindeldan is our home, and it is our tomb." Ed shook his head, reaching out a rough hand to caress the ancient Dwarvish runes carved into the stone wall. "Long ago, the first High King of the Mountain, Bernd Klein, led the war-torn shield dwarves to set foot upon this land for the first time. "For thousands of years, we have mined ore, forged weapons, and drunk fine ale within Blackrock Mountain. We know its earth, its rock, and its veins. Every mine shaft and every tunnel here was hewn out pick by pick, hammer blow by hammer blow, by dwarven hands... "Abandoning Evindeldan and abandoning Blackrock Mountain would mean forsaking our home and betraying our ancestors—something no brave, loyal dwarf could ever bring himself to do." By the end, the dwarven king's voice resonated with ringing strength, clear and sharp like a hammer striking stone. Hearing this, Titus recognized the unshakeable resolve in the king and knew he could no longer dissuade the High King of the Mountain. He could only reply with helpless resignation, "King Ed... I accept your request." "Hahahaha! Excellent, Lord Titus! Our dwarven folk will forever remember your kindness. You are our eternal friend!" Hearing his assent, Ed laughed heartily and strapped the warhammer back onto his waist. Dwarves often said that 'the difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years.' Short-lived humans could rarely forge truly solid bonds with dwarves; the finest dwarf-human friendships took place between a human and the dwarves who had already grown fond of their parents and grandparents. Yet the dwarven king knew equally well that compared to long-lived dragons, dwarves were exceedingly short-lived themselves. And gold dragons, possessing the longest lifespans among true dragons, likewise found it difficult to forge lasting bonds with dwarves. Although Titus had fought side by side with Ed and could barely be counted as a comrade through life and death, that amounted to very little to a dragon. Ed did not disguise his intentions. Holding up two thick fingers, he said earnestly, "Lord Titus, I ask only that you shelter those children for two hundred years. "Two hundred years may be no more than a nap to a gold dragon like you, but to us dwarves, it is the greater part of a lifetime. "During that time, let them serve you and work for you. If after two hundred years they have still failed to reclaim Evindeldan, let them start anew elsewhere, finding a place to carry on the civilization of the shield dwarves." "Very well." The ancient gold dragon said nothing more, merely nodding with solemn gravity. Although strictly speaking his true age was far younger than the dwarf before him, from the perspective of a gold dragon, this was hardly an exacting condition. Yet Ed was not finished: "Of course, I cannot ask you to shelter them for nothing. The treasures our dwarven race has amassed over millennia are yours to peruse—you may claim a third of them for yourself." "This... this is a bit too..." Instantly, astonishment washed across the ancient gold dragon's face. A flicker of hesitation and greed surfaced in his pale-gold eyes, leaving him momentarily uncertain whether he ought to decline. Like any good-aligned metallic dragon, he possessed the innate draconic covetousness for wealth, yet he also maintained a strict moral threshold. Dwarves, too, had always prized gold, gems, jewelry, and artistic masterpieces crafted from those precious materials. While their greed for treasure could not match a dragon's, it was certainly not small. Ed saw through the gold dragon's thoughts, gave another hearty laugh, and stroked his thick brown beard. "Lord Titus, though I trust your moral fiber, mutual interest is the finest anchor of all. You deserve this wealth. "Even if I did not offer this treasure to you, it would most likely fall into the hands of the Cinder Empire. Far better to bestow it upon someone who is genuinely good. "What is more..." Ed paused, strode toward the far end of the secret chamber, and pressed his rough hand against an iron door covered in Dwarvish inscriptions. The runes upon it flared brilliantly. "I have one more crucial item to entrust to your care." *Rumble—* Accompanied by a deep, grinding roar, the iron door slowly parted. A vast expanse opened before them, golden light illuminating the dwarf's face and setting the gold dragon's scales gleaming with radiant splendor. The vault within was ablaze with light, casting brilliance over every treasure. Gleaming gold coins were heaped into small mountains with an eye-dazzling shine that seemed capable of reflecting a coveter's gaze. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other rare gems vied for radiance beneath the illumination, dazzling to behold. Beyond heaps of gold, silver, and precious stones, the vault contained an array of masterfully wrought weapons and ornaments. Every single piece displayed the consummate ingenuity of dwarven artisans; whether razor-sharp greatswords or ornately decorated rings, each embodied the dwarven pursuit of beauty and reverence for strength. This was the treasury guarded across generations by dwarven folk—the wealth gathered by the Mountain Kingdom over thousands of years. Bathed in the vault's radiance, the dwarven king's face showed deep lines etched by time. His gaze swept across the fruits of his people's labor, as if wandering through memories of bygone ages. Even Titus could not help parting his jaws, his facial whiskers drifting as he let out a low gasp. He could not resist remarking, "King Ed, this is truly... an astonishing fortune." Seeing the gold dragon's stunned reaction, Ed nodded in deep satisfaction, swelling with pride and honor over his people's wealth—this was a hoard capable of leaving even a gold dragon flabbergasted! "Of course, Lord Titus. When my father brought me here for the first time all those years ago, I was so overwhelmed I forgot how to walk and nearly fainted right inside this vault." The dwarf was the first to step inside. After a moment of hesitation, the ancient gold dragon lowered his head, tucked in his wings, and squeezed through the gateway with some effort, entering the vault as well. One after the other, dwarf and gold dragon strode amid the dizzying heaps of wealth. Titus could not help glancing about, taking in the coins, gemstones, and magical gear that surrounded him. The gold coins rose like rolling hills, the gems sparkled like stars strewn across the night sky, and the magical auras drifting from the arms and armor wove together into a vibrant glow. Among them were no fewer than twenty legendary-grade items—swords, blades, greataxes, warhammers, and suits of armor—a dizzying variety that left him dazzled. Relying on a dragon's natural, formidable appraisal skill, in mere minutes Titus—or rather, Cassius—arrived at a rough valuation of the vault's contents: over twenty million gold coins! It truly lived up to the accumulated wealth of dwarves over thousands of years. Even for the Cinder Empire, which had realized industrialized mass production and dumped its manufactured goods across Feanso, this was an immense fortune! It was only a pity that all this wealth would soon belong to an evil, greedy red dragon. Titus's breath quickened and heat flushed through his frame. He even felt an impulse to slay the dwarven king right then and there and claim the treasury for himself. Yet he quickly regained his composure. This vault would be his sooner or later anyway; there was no need to act rashly, especially when Ed still had an important item to entrust to his safekeeping. Steadying his racing thoughts, the ancient gold dragon said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your trust, King Ed, for permitting me into... a place like this." This was the sincerity Ed was demonstrating. Leading a dragon into one's treasure vault—anyone understood what that meant: absolute trust. If the dwarven king wished to forge an unshakeable bond between the ancient gold dragon and the shield dwarves to secure genuine sanctuary, this was the necessary price. "Lord Titus, as I said, I trust your moral character. You will forever be our dwarves' steadfast ally," Ed said with firm conviction. At this moment, the ancient gold dragon's majestic, sagacious visage brimmed with deep emotion, looking entirely spontaneous and heartfelt. His acting was nothing short of consummate. Reaching the end of the treasury, they entered a secret chamber carved with myriad runes. The dwarf halted before an unassuming section of stone wall, staring ahead with a solemn expression. Then, drawing a small knife from his person, he sliced open his finger and smeared his blood across the wall, sketching enigmatic Dwarvish symbols while murmuring an incantation under his breath: "By Moradin on high, in the name of the High King of the Mountain, ruler of the shield dwarves, and the bloodline of Blackrock Mountain..." Instantly, the blood-inscribed glyph flared with brilliant light, and the surrounding runes all emitted a faint glow. The carved dwarves upon the reliefs seemed to spring to life, brandishing their weapons and roaring with furious war cries. *Rumble—* A pedestal forged of dark iron slowly rose from the stone floor. Embedded upon it was a fractured stone that resembled part of an eye, radiating an aura of utter malice. In an instant, the ancient gold dragon's eyes went wide. His slit pupils, resembling pools of molten gold, revealed unprecedented astonishment and shock. He could not help murmuring under his breath, "Th-this... How is this possible? By Bahamut, I thought that was only a legend." Before his vision, the item description for this "stone" had already surfaced: *** **Eye of Gruumsh (Half)** **Quality:** Mythic **Domains:** Chaos, Evil, Strength, War **Effect:** Unknown **Description:** Orcs harbor a unique hatred toward Corellon Larethian, Moradin, and their followers. Legend holds that many years ago, Corellon Larethian struck out Gruumsh's left eye in battle. Naturally, certain orc clerics dispute this legend, dismissing it as nonsense; they maintain that the elven deity stole the eye, for he could never have bested Gruumsh in fair combat. In orc myth, the eye lost in the duel between Gruumsh and the elven deity Corellon Larethian became an artifact. The elves scoff at this tale, asserting that Corellon Larethian thoroughly obliterated Gruumsh's eye. *** Ed gazed at the fractured stone, unconsciously puffing out his chest, his voice laced with pride. "Lord Titus, you are knowledgeable indeed. You guessed correctly—this is indeed a fragment of that very eye. "Ten thousand years ago, the All-Father and the chief elven deity joined forces to defeat the orc god, blinding his eye and cleaving it into two pieces, sealing them separately within the Mountain Kingdom and Therenia—and this is one of them." Staring at the stone radiating chaotic, evil divine power, Titus felt tempestuous waves churn within his heart, myriad thoughts racing through his mind. This was a piece of a greater deity! Its value surpassed all the accumulated wealth in this treasury combined! Titus—or rather, Cassius—was determined to have it! No wonder the orcs in his previous life had experienced an explosive surge in strength after conquering Evindeldan, even triggering the terrifying 'Orc Calamity.' They had recovered the sacred relic of their kind! At this point, the dwarven king spoke through gritted teeth: "Yet now, the orc god has employed foul trickery to sever our communion with the All-Father, preventing His divine power from descending into this world. "And now, the Cinder Empire glares hungrily from the southwest, liable to launch an invasion at any moment. I can only entrust this to our most trusted ally—to you." Titus calmed his racing heart once more and probed further, "King Ed, since Therenia guards the other half of the eye, why not entrust it to the elves? "They have shared a sacred alliance with the dwarves for thousands of years and have always been your steadfast allies, far more dependable than I." Ed shook his head and explained, "These two fractured pieces of the Eye of Gruumsh must never be brought together. If I did that, and if the orcs overran Therenia, they would obtain the complete Eye of Gruumsh, with catastrophic consequences. "Furthermore, Therenia is facing unprecedented turmoil, and I cannot foresee who will emerge victorious. "I trust Queen Catherine, and I trust Lady Rhea, but I cannot trust those elven elders who disregard the sacred alliance and look on with folded arms while we dwarves suffer." Finally, the dwarven king raised his head, meeting the ancient gold dragon's pale-gold eyes. "This half of the eye harbors unimaginable evil power. Only the royal bloodline of the shield dwarves can seal this foul object born of the orc god. "Lord Titus, I ask that you guard it well and never let it fall into the hands of the wicked. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire beyond measure—it would spark a catastrophe on a multiversal scale." "Rest assured. I will protect it with my life." Titus lowered his head and flared the draconic wings behind him, meeting the dwarven king's gaze in the formal etiquette unique to gold dragons. His tone was exceptionally solemn, and an unprecedented resolve shone in his golden slit pupils. Yet at this very moment, the thoughts churning within Titus—or rather, Cassius—were nothing like the high-minded, righteous words he spoke. All he wanted was to pocket both halves of the Eye of Gruumsh for himself.